A Hunt Like No Other
by Crazyscientist85
Summary: So it turns out that Vaults are scattered all over the galaxy. But what about Pandora? Had the planet run out of Vaults to open? Of course not. But have you ever wondered why the Eridians tried so hard to hide them? Well, the general idea is that some Vaults... should have never seen the light of day. And for good reason. Triple crossover (RWBY, Borderlands and Doom).
1. Escaped from Hell

(Ager Sonus – Inner Sanctum)

" _Close... so... close!_ "

"Impossible" was a word that lost its meaning. In the past, it was used to describe actions only heroes of myth, or those with suicidal tendencies, could pull off, and even they would have to face many difficulties to make them happen. But then, "impossible" became just another word people threw around in a conversation, without any deeper meaning attached to it. Same for words like "love", "courage", and "Hell".

Hell.

What an interesting word it is. Four letters together form a name for a plane of existence beyond a border where life ends and afterlife begins. Hell is a kingdom of the sinner, of the traitor, where torment eternal is as mundane as night and day. It is where the moral filth lies awake. And yet, over the course of its history, Humanity applied that word to specific locations that were inhospitable, hostile, or alien. Pandora was one.

Many quickly shared the same sentiment. After all, was there a better word to describe that little ball of sand, that planet where death is ever present? Even those with rich vocabularies had a hard time writing down the threats of local flora and fauna, the bandits that roamed free, or the Vault Hunters that sought glory and personal gain.

Living in that last category is, without a doubt, a difficult lifestyle. Reasons may vary; from angry megacorporations who put bounties on those heads they deem dangerous, to jobs gathered from the local populace, to the incessant search for new Vaults, hence the title. Does it pay off? Depends from person to person. Here is an important piece of information for everyone who wishes to choose this career over others: to this day, there has yet to be a Vault Hunter that died of old age.

"Hah... ha... _close..._ "

Braylon died too, or at least he thought he did. He found a Vault, he opened a Vault, he died and went to Hell. A simple, easy, rational explanation. Except it was not so simple, nor was it easy, and it was everything but rational. It wasn't even Hell, but the Vault that threw all the logic out of the window.

But what exactly is a Vault?

Many years ago, during the era where a corporation known as Dahl built the first ever human settlements, people from all over the galaxy were brought on that wasteland to mine precious metals for the corporation. It was a time, a better time, when people, either out of boredom or unfounded rumors they heard from their comrades, started talking about things that would soon turn into legends. One of them was the legendary alien artifact known as the "Vault".

It was the buzzword on everyone's tongue, yet none knew what it was. They all told different stories. Alien technology, power beyond imagination, enough money to last a lifetime... women... The Vault was real, it was a fact, but no one ever found it. How absurd!

All of that changed when four talented Vault Hunters set their feet on Pandora. What started as an enthusiastic search for the unknown alien legacy turned out to be a dark secret that required the sacrifice of an entire alien species. Why, it was nothing but a glorified cage for an eldritch monster that could destroy the whole universe. Contrary to common sense, the Vault Hunters succeeded in defeating it and sealing the Vault for another century. A new problem arose, though, because that event drew massive attention from all directions. The deadly planet became even more popular once the word about the existence of more Vaults got out.

Every day, thousands died on its surface in search for them. Thousands more by the corporations who tried to claim the planet as their own. With force, if necessary. Over the span of several years, three more Vaults were found, each a story for themselves. What most failed to know, however, was the fact that there was a fifth Vault, one that should have never seen the light of day. For a good reason.

This Vault was discovered by Braylon Monocriffe, a young Vault Hunter, with his group. They fought for it. They bled for it. With some difficulties, they opened it. Now he was in Hell.

Literally.

"*Gasp!*"

Thin legs carried his charred frame to the dirt black shore, struggling with each step in the hot lava that turned him into that state. When the dry sandlike material caressed the feet, the frail body finally gave in and collapsed. If feet refused to walk further inland, towards the edge of a forest, then the hands would suffice. There was no use in feeling shame for crawling like a maggot and wailing in pain was pointless. No one was there to hear him scream.

But Humans are stubborn little things. Even after being broken, they find the strength to stand back up. At the nearest tree, a leafless phantom just like the cousins around it, Braylon shook, then shook some more, until the legs rose up. He cared not for the countless eyes that infested the ashen gray skin of the tree, most of which stared at him without blinking, nor for the legs and arms that were its branches.

Pressing the burnt back against the twisted parody of a planet, his gaze returned to those who didn't make it out of the fiery lake, too busy to twist and moan in pain to ever come up with such an idea. He was the lucky one. If luck included having a demon intruding into one's thoughts with its venomous tongue.

" _I suggest you get moving, mortal. You are close to the exit, so stop wasting my time._ "

How ironic. The very being that dedicates its life and soul to bring the mortal to ruin was now his ally. Out of interest, of course, not out of pity. There was certainly something to be gained from the collaboration, otherwise the voice would never come to him. And he had an eternal reminder of that deal he struck; a five-pointed star turned upside down, carved on the back of his left hand.

Braylon the Vault Hunter removed himself from the tree, testing his legs once again. After finding out they were stable enough to hold his weight, he ventured deeper into the eldritch forest.

An unbelievably dark forest, at that. The only light that ever perforated into the forest was the one coming from the eternally crimson and cloudy sky. Here the trees were a far more common sight, with people glued to their surface, where some were nothing but statues while others wriggled and twisted. Dead bushes were thrown into the mix, along with flowers made of flesh and other impossibilities. Screams and cries were the orchestra that such a place offered, unlike a normal forest on a normal world.

" _Turn right._ " The voice commanded once again. Braylon followed orders without giving them too much of a thought.

Walking barefoot in the middle of a supernatural forest is a task not many are willing to take. Those who do, often find lots of trouble on their path. For Braylon, trouble came in the form of a skeletal horned snake that rose up and hissed threateningly. Braylon turned around and ran as fast as he could, or, at least, tried to. It was more of a fast walk than an actual run. He cursed himself mentally for being so weak.

Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to the light of a torch barely hidden behind a rock decorated with bones. Upon coming closer, a satyr-like creature let out a bleat of distress as it rushed from behind a tree, knocking over the torch. It ignored the Human, running deep into the forest without ever looking back, leaving behind a fire that started to grow. The vegetation erupted into a wall of flame, enough to ward off his chaser, who was somewhere behind him. Indeed, he was being hunted the whole time, which in itself was another reason for him to move forward. The forest abruptly ended several moments later. He got out.

" _You are not here to sightsee, mortal. Remember that you are as useful as you are disposable. If they catch you,_ _there won't be a second chance._ _So get moving!_ "

The ground, chiseled out of some orange stonelike material, was cold to the touch. To contrast that, the lake of fire, further down the beach, blew out warm air that would make him sweat if he could. He was in a park, decorated with silvery-gray statues depicting various monstrosities in even more varying poses. Further away, in the lake, a giant mountain-like island stood out like a sore thumb, yet radiating with overwhelmingly terrifying presence. A gigantic moth-like creature circled around its peak with two pairs of wings that had shapes one could connect to eyes, eternally looking down upon the righteously condemned souls. The hellish sky stretched to the horizon, booming here and there as if massive cannons were fired on a battlefield that no one could see.

A sudden wave of weakness snuck upon him. Legs began shaking once more. They would betray him and he would fall on the ground. The demon would come and that would be it. By God, he refused to accept such a fate. His defiance manifested when he leaned on the nearest statue, where his eyes fell upon a fountain. The statue on top of it, depicting a demon slicing the throat of an alien, sent shivers down his spine. But even that failed to be as captivating as the object that levitated slightly above ground, in front of the fountain filled with blood. For a moment, he played witht he idea that it might have been a fake, just like the rest of that place, which would disappear the moment he turned his head. The shimmering blue light of the object felt like it was the only real thing he saw for a long period of time, its purpose unknown.

Come on, he motivated himself, put some more strength in those legs! You want to get out, don't you? You still have a life to live and nothing would stop you from living it. I am well aware of its meaninglessness, but I simply don't give a damn. Come on!

Gritting his teeth, and ignoring the pain as much as he could, the young Vault Hunter took a step forward. Then another. Then another...

He fell down on the gravel, screaming in pain as some of the tiny rocks opened several wounds on his naked frame, or adding salt to the ones already existing.

" _I'm losing my patience here._ _See that blue sphere?_ " The voice asked, seemingly not caring of Braylon's suffering. It most certainly didn't. " _All you need to do is touch it._ "

Truly, the object was a blue sphere, the size of a basketball with an agonized face screaming soundlessly. He raised one trembling hand towards the source of the blue light, touching it with the tips of his fingers. As he did, it turned into gas of the same color that enveloped his body. Every wound he had, every damaged muscle, every broken bone, all of it was suddenly gone, replaced by a feeling of blissfulness as his body began transforming into what it was before the nightmare began. It was the first time he was happy that he could breathe the air around him, albeit it reeking of sulphur and negativity.

" _Don't worry about it. It was a soul of some nobody forever locked in that small jail of theirs. Now, keep going._ "

It was fine, it truly was, but now he had a whole new set of problems. For starters, if what the voice said was true, he had just used someone's soul to mend his fleshy shell. The mere thought made him bed over and vomit , for it was nothing like killing a person physically. It was a murder on a whole new level, one that gifted the killer with all the memories, emotions and pain the soul absorbed like a sponge during its brief mortal life. Second, now that his meat shield was restored, his mind went into something that could best be described as wide range of emotions, from hatred and sorrow to happiness and ecstasy, suddenly barraged his brain in a synchronized attack. First he would cry, then he would laugh. The brain wasn't supposed to work like that, to feel two conflicting emotions at once. It didn't help that he heard a bull-like cry coming from the forest behind him.

" _Oh no. They found me?!_ "

The increasingly-loud clopping was the confirmation he needed to get up and reach the exit. Still slightly stunned by the after-effects of the "soulsphere", he walked towards a set of stairs that could be found behind the fountain. Curiosity got the better of him, so he turned his head around.

There it was. The mastodontic hunter in search of its puny prey. A monstrous combination of brown-furred goat legs and red-skinned humanoid upper body, with a physique that would make most mortals jealous and with a strength to crush a truck as if it were the most basic of tin cans. All mixed with a pair of black horns and hooves. Its mere presence urged mortals to go for the nearest shelter.

For Braylon there was no shelter to hide in. His only insurance was his own pair of legs, which sprinted up the stairs as soon as his eyes met with the monster's.

" _Faster, mortal! Don't make me regret my choice!_ " Screamed the voice in his head. It wasn't exactly helping to improve the situation. Again, it probably cared not.

Because his body got restored, he wasn't as weak as before, which allowed him to pass the stairs and jump to a tiny floating island-platform.

" _Over there!_ "

He suddenly felt the urge to move his head towards another floating island higher above. A bright light emanated from something he couldn't see. The only way to reach it was to jump from island to island. Nobody said acquiring freedom would be easy.

The first few islands were easy to reach because they were really close to each other. But as the number of islands he passed grew, so did the difficulty to reach them. After he grabbed the edge of an island and climbed his way to the top, he saw the beast, down to earth, staring at him as if he were a pest that annoyed him. For a moment Braylon thought he was safe. That changed after the demon's hands burst into green flames.

" _Uh-oh, not good!_ "

Not good indeed. The powerful demon clenched his right fist and positioned himself, throwing a green fireball at the mortal teenager. Hadn't he jumped to another island, he would have been pulverized.

" _He can throw fireballs?!_ "

" _Why are you surprised? Everything above mortals can pull such tricks._ "

" _You never told me this!_ "

" _I did, however, tell you to be quick, didn't I? Besides, you are in no position to win a combat against my oh so beloved comrade. Not now, at least._ "

Only one jump divided him from his liberty. One jump to end it all. He could now see his proverbial ticket. It was a rift in reality itself, as if the fabric that built it was torn apart, forming an oval-shaped gate filled with purple light and charged with black electricity. Even light seemed to be absorbed by the phenomena, though whether it actually was or wasn't, remained unknown.

" _The rift is about to disa_ _p_ _pear!_ "

Braylon took two steps backwards and sprinted forward. When he reached the edge, he jumped, and barely missed a fireball that was way too close for his liking. Landing harshly, he got up and dashed towards the rift, screaming as he approached the blinding light.

* * *

The following fraction of a second was one of the longest in Braylon's life. All that light was gone, as if a light bulb went out. The unbearable heat plagued him no more, same with the cursed noise that could be heard everywhere in Hell. Time and space twisted in an unnatural manner as the traveler went through the tunnel, pulled by an unfathomable force towards the other side. And just like before, reality came back with all of its vibrant colors.

Blue sky, pure water. It took another second to process the new information. He was no longer in Hell, but somewhere else. Somewhere unknown. Somewhere that had no ground to stand on.

No, he was falling.

"Oh shiiiii-oof!"

The feeling of warm sand coming in contact with skin and face was a change he wholeheartedly accepted. It was almost unreal how "true" it felt. Even with the cold air, and him being utterly naked, the hands couldn't stop playing with the sand of the beach.

" _Ah... you landed there... hmm... this might be more entertaining than I thought it would._ "

"Yeah, I'm dying of laughter already." Braylon was amazed at how deep his voice sounded. Probably for the fact that his throat needed some "training" before his voice could return to normal.

" _Hold on. I'm sending you that toy of yours._ "

Braylon witnessed a bright, orange flash appearing out of nowhere few meters away from him. When it disappeared, it left behind a large red chest that could be found anywhere on Pandora. Weirdly enough, people called them "loot chests".

He approached said loot chests and opened it. It contained a silvery, bracer-like device with a rectangular screen on top.

"How..." He tried to ask as he picked it up.

" _It wasn't easy, I'll admit. I had to use a favor or two to get it. Don't even think I am some kind of charity. I simply need you to stay alive if I want you to complete my plan._ "

As they talked, the Vault Hunter placed the device on his left arm, thus triggering its activation. The screen flashed to life. He still remembered the name. Personal Digistruct Assistant, PDA for short. A technological wonder, a miracle of science, and one of the reasons why he became famous throughout the galaxy, for better or worse.

 **Systems online. Warning! Error! Lost connection to the owner. Rebooting the systems. Please wait...**

Braylon felt as if hundreds of mosquitoes stabbed his arm, followed by a feeling that something started traveling through his arm.

 **Systems online. Playing "Introduction". A warm welcome to you, my newest owner!** **My name is Personal Digistruct Assistant, model A7-938412. You can, however, call me as you wish! Now before we begin, allow me to get a quick scan of your genetic code... please wait... and done! You may be wondering why did I perform a scan of your DNA, with or without your permission. It is all for your safety, because now you, and only you, are allowed to use all of my features, as the system will only accept you as its legal owner.**

 **You may also wonder why did you feel as if your skin got pierced by tiny needles. You must know that the PDA doesn't take its owner's life for granted, so it installed dozens of tiny tubes which will connect themselves to every important part of your body! Heart, lungs, liver, even brain, all of them are now directly connected to the device, making transportations of informations and resources a reality. Don't worry, it won't hurt you anymore!**

 **And now for the basics you need to know. You can access your PDA features either through your thoughts, verbally or by typing on the screen, whichever is easier for you. Should you need important information that you never knew about, but the database has it stored, the AI will download that information into your brain through the help of a chip that the nanobots are building right now.**

 **You also need to know that you probably aren't the first owner of this device. In fact, the device has an in-built battery that will last for several thousands of years, can survive up to ten thousand degrees either positive or negative, it is bullet and waterproof and immune to most acids known to mankind. This means that there is a high chance that someone already used this device. Don't be sad though! The more owners it had, the more of its features are unlocked and free for you to use!**

 **Please note that, should you wish so, the PDA will automatically block and remove any and all information it acquired during its time of activity.** **If you are impatient, you can skip the tutorials by tapping on the button that will appear on the screen. Doing so you will allow the PDA to download all commands directly into your brain. Skipping tutorials. Downloading instructions... please wait...**

Braylon let out a sigh. First time was always the worst.

 **Instructions downloaded. Basic scans completed. Systems online. Hello, Braylon Monocriffe!**

The Vault Hunter wasted no more time and decided to reinstall every implant he had before losing the PDA, effectively returning to his transhuman form, for the implants drastically changed and improved his body.

 **Beginning installation sequence.**

 **Installing Implant Y-017 "Monocyte Breeder". Improving treatment of physical injuries.**

 **Installing Implant B-015 "Subdermal Armor". Silghtly increasing resistance to damage.**

 **Installing Implant C-066 "Thermal Adaptor". Improving resistance to temperature changes caused by elemental ammunition.**

 **Installing Implant A-045 "Cationic Insulator". Shields will now have increased performance.**

 **Installing Implant X-077 "Hazmat Protection Agent".** **Improving resistance to corrosive chemicals.**

 **Installing Implant O-012 "Reflex Booster". Enhancing physical agility.**

 **Installing Implant L-090 "L.O.G.I.C.". Increased mental performance of the owner.**

 **Installing Implant D-019 "Digestive Filtration System". Any toxins or harmful agents will be removed from consumed food and liquids.**

 **Warning! Following implants may cause harm. Enabling forced comatose.**

"I can feel it. This is going to be an interesting day." He said out lout before dropping down like a rock.

* * *

 **Hello and welcome to the rewrite of my previous fic "A Chance to Live". This was the first of many chapters** **of the story. As you may have noted from the description, this is a triple crossover (Borderlands, RWBY and Doom), so why the change? Well, the very original idea was to make a crossover between Borderlands and Doom, but then it got changed to Borderlands and RWBY, now I decided to make it a triple crossover, because why not?**

 **So what can you expect from this rewrite? Why I made it a triple crossover?**

 **First of all, I will start with the second question. This fic is not going to be just a crossover between those three I mentioned. The trio build the "main" story, but because my method of writing is making stuff up as I go, there might be a possibility that other things may pop up in the mix (although not something terribly big that will make a giant impact, more like items or one-time events or whatever,** **which may or may not count as references** **).**

 **As for expectations, there will be action, bloody action, soundtracks for atmosphere** **and many more. Also, some characters and/or scenes will make a return, since they are important. Like one reader mentioned in the other story, I decided to leave it on the site instead of deleting it. If you feel like it, go take a read over there.**

 **This is all I can think of for now. Should I remember to mention something, I will write it down here, after the chapter. As always, feedback would be appreciated. See you next chapter, where things will start to get interesting.**


	2. Baby Steps

(Cities Last Broadcast - Glossolalia)

" _Aeons_. _That's how much we waited for an opportunity like this._ "

The chilling whisper he caught was enough to force his eyes to open, noticing how his surroundings changed yet again. Did something happen to him while he was forcefully put into a coma? Braylon wasn't sure. He was sure, however, that the beach and the sea had gone, replaced by a gravel road in the middle of... nowhere?

He had no idea where he was, only that he stood on a road between two natural walls made of rock. Everything except the road was covered in snow, but there was no coldness for him to feel. Thousands of tiny snowflakes ran down from the clouds high in the sky, the fog making it hard to see anything that was at a distance longer than five meters from him. Looking back, the road was cut off by a large pile of rocks, making him feel trapped like a rat. Only this rat had one, not necessarily good, choice to follow.

Clearing his mind of any paranoid thoughts, Braylon slowly took a step forward, followed by another. He stopped. Something wasn't right. He felt like someone, or something, was watching him. From where, he wasn't sure. The strange noises he heard only made him more uncomfortable. Ah, his imagination got the better of him, he thought, he should stay focused on the road ahead.

Careful not to fall in a trap of some kind, the young Vault Hunter followed the road. The more he walked, the more the walls distanced themselves, up to the point where they stopped completely, swapped for a forest full of dead trees, also covered in snow. The road was still going forward, always straight, not for once changing directions.

" _All this time, we were lurking in the shadows. Foolishly and greedily did the mortals stare in the abyss, without realizing that someone was staring back._ "

The voice... it wasn't the voice of the demon he knew. Truth to be told, it sounded like it didn't belong to a demon at all. If he had to guess, it was a man's voice. Deep, yet calm, pleasing to the ear and the spirit. There was no way that could have been good news, he thought. He had no choice but to walk. Should he step outside the road, his foot would become as cold as liquid nitrogen. Stepping back, the foot would return to its normal temperature.

Braylon got used to witnessing strange things, with some bordering on paranormal. Because of this, he developed a "sense" that would alert him whenever something strange was happening that couldn't be explained rationally. It was not a sense per se, more like gathered experience, and it wouldn't always work. But it didn't take a genius to realize that this was the work of something beyond his current comprehension and knowledge. He bet at this being a hallucination or a dream, but it felt too real for being one of the two. Neither hallucinations or dreams have such levels of organization, being random products of the mind.

At some point he walked into a set of stairs made of black stone that seemingly lead to the top of a hill. His sense of danger was becoming stronger and stronger with each stair he passed. He came to a point where his anxiety grew to a phobia. Nevertheless, he didn't give up, whatever horrors happened to be lurking at the top.

" _We were imprisoned, banished by the enemy, to a place where the shadows devour even darker shadows, revealing a world where no being dares to tread._ "

The never-ending stairway became a frustration for the teenager. When he thought about how he reached the top, there would be another set of stairs waiting for him, seemingly going towards the sky itself. The fear he felt now changed to vivid images of brutal torture, murder and destruction at the hands of unspeakable monstrosities, more and more disturbing with every single step.

He couldn't take it anymore, so he collapsed on the stairs. His face was covered in sweat and he started to hyperventilate. He wished he could stop the torture of his, but something pushed him forward relentlessly, as if the top of the mountain hid important secrets or things that captivated his very soul. He reached the top the very moment he was about to give up. So after taking some time to gather his breath, he walked forward until he reached the edge that appeared so suddenly.

The scenery changed so suddenly that his eyes failed to spot the change in time. The fog was bloody red and less present, snow was replaced by ash and the ground became unbearably hot. There, right in fornt of him, was perhaps the most horrifying image he ever had the displeasure of seeing.

Below stood a large, disc-shaped arena, surrounded by all sides with boiling lava that fell from gargantuan Eridian statues placed at four sides, indicating cardinal directions of the world respectively. A bridge connected the arena with a tiny island on which stood an upside down V made of white stone. That was the (in)famous Vault, seemingly opened, a fact recognizable by an orange rift inside the piece of alien architecture.

But what was the most disturbing, however, was what came out of the Vault's rift. Each minute, hundreds of thousands of monsters rushed out into an unstoppable stampede with such eagerness that was uncomprehensible to a simplistic, human mind. Terrestrial and flying, grotesque and beautiful, midgets and giants, eldritch and natural. All of it happening under two watchful eyes hiding behind a thick veil of fog, high above the Vault.

" _We know that our end is near. But we_ _ **don't care.**_ _ **Because before we dissapear, we will drag down every single mortal in the whole creation. Rivers of blood will overflow, fresh skulls will be added to the existing piles and trillions of souls will be lost forever. For we are demons, the bane of all that is mortal!**_ "

Braylon felt the giant's gaze upon him, full of abnormal hatred. Suddenly a gigantic hand shot out of the fog towards him.

"My god! No! AAAHHH!"

* * *

"AAAHHH! OW! OW! OW!"

 **Regular brain activity detected. Shutting down emergency systems.**

"Gah! What the hell!"

The teenage Vault Hunter shook violently on the sand as he felt electric pulses coming from his wrist device. As soon as it stopped, his upper body quickly rose up, breathing large amounts of fresh air into the lungs. It took several seconds for him to come to his senses and find out that he was on the beach the whole time.

" _I'm glad to see that our sleeping beauty finally woke up._ "

There was the familiar demon's voice. He didn't pay very much attention to it, as his mind returned back to the haunting vision he saw before. The feeling of dread that slowly creeped up upon him at the sight of so many monsters left an impact on his psyche, powerful enough to be brought into the reality that currently accompanied him. More disturbing was his ability to recognize his familiarity with the place, the Vault, now serving as freedom for creatures that should have never abandon whatever hellhole they crawled out of.

Thus the question came spontaneously, was what he saw a product of a traumatized mind after experiencing a taste of Hell, the dimension from which he escaped, or was it a type of premonition, a warning about an event that was bound to happen or, worse, it's already happening? It's not that big of a stretch to say that receiving the privilege of knowing the answers to questions humans tried to find an answer to ever since its beginnings so bluntly and so cruelly wasn't really good for health. Especially when that knowledge would place a curse that one had to endure for the rest of their days.

The curse of loneliness.

We are not talking about the ability to socialize with other individuals. This type of loneliness comes from the knowledge one has in possession, yet they are unable to share it with others, because they would either dismiss it or mock its owner. He knew, he knew that it would be a secret that he will bring with him into the coffin. A secret that would slowly chip away bits of his already-damaged sanity.

" _Are you going to keep pondering about your miserable life, or are you going to move and repair the mess you've caused?_ "

"What?"

" _Have you forgot already? The Vault you opened is the cause for all of this chaos. If you wish to see another sunrise, I suggest you to start doing something productive._ "

"Vault?" He looked down on his trembling hands. "Chaos?"

" _Let me spell it out for you. You_ _r_ _wish_ _is_ _to never return to Hell, correct?_ "

Braylon's mind relived his experience about the Vault opening, his arrival to Hell and his escape from it. The hands stopped shaking as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Yes."

" _The_ _n_ _you surely wish for everything to return back to normal, correct?_ "

"Yes."

" _Then your goal is_ _set in stone. You must stop the Unholy Crusade and the mastermind behind it, the so-called Dark Lord of the Fourth Age._ "

"D-Dark Lord?" He parroted dumbly.

" _You know who. The Great Enemy, Fallen One, Changer of Ways... His pride cost us our home._ _Mortals are to blame of course._ "

"I... I'm so confused..." He gripped his head. "What do I have to do with all of this?... What do you gain from all of this?"

" _You were the one who started it all. As for me, I get to see his face once a mortal he so despises ruins his plans. I still owe him one for dragging me down with him._ "

If he could sink into the earth, he would do it with pleasure. His head hurt, bitter and angry for what had fate in store for him. Was his years-long Vault-hunting career not worth the mercy it would take for him to get some deserved rest? All the trouble he had been through, and it still wasn't enough? Raging against the heavens was as useless as it was pointless, so Braylon had no choice but to complain to himself, fully aware that mentioned trouble was part his fault for choosing such self-destructive path.

"Well..." He clapped his hands together and got up from the sand. "Crying won't solve anything. I better start..."

" _That's the spirit._ "

"Sure, if only I knew from where..."

Braylon decided to take a look around himself so that he could discover something more about the place.

"Looks like... a tropical paradise..."

When he turned around, he saw a green forest distant about half an hour of walk from the beach. The trees made his assumption about his whereabouts being a tropical paradise invalid. Still, it looked very inviting for our teenager, as forests like that were a rare sight on Pandora.

He sighed. "Maybe a walk will clear my mind..."

" _While you walk, please consider how you placed so much trust in a being whose primary role is to annihilate you. Walk, and taste the irony._ "

* * *

One of the most frequent stories on Pandora revolves around trees. Pandora, being a desert for most of the time, left no place for vegetation of the common type, the type you could see on most Earth-like planets. Instead, said planet, and its moon, developed a rather strange wildlife, one that horrified even the first scientists who tried to analyze it. But of course, you say, it is logical for each planet in the universe to develop unique lifeforms, such is the law of evolution.

Consider the following. There are countless planets out there that share Pandora's characteristics, yet almost none of them developed lifeforms Pandora had. Animals with splitting jaws that allows them to devour things ten times bigger than their own head, semi-intelligent spores that don't serve as means for reproduction, carnivorous plants that caused heated debates in scientific communities about chaning their classification to animals despite having traits of a plant. The list goes on.

Some conspiracy theories point out the fact that there is no connection between species that would make a logical food chain, because two thirds of Pandorian wildlife is formed from extremely territorial apex predators that feed on anything their jaws can bite on, as an argument for it being born in labs and not on the planet itself. A Skag, a type of Pandorian canine, is so diverse and senseless, that the name Skag is just a blanket term to describe many subtypes of these alien dogs. For example, a Skag Spitter is the only Skag with the ability to spit out gobs of corrosive goo, despite having no evolutionary reason, and sense, to do so. For what purposes would someone made such dangerous wildlife on a planet-sized wasteland remains, and most likely will remain, unknown.

But we digress. The goal was to explain why trees make such big importance in Pandorian stories. Since Pandora is a desert, it is very unlikely a settler will find one without careful searching or plain luck. You can imagine the marvel, or terror, Pandora-born people face when they see this harmless giant. Even more so when they are illiterate, a social problem that is very prevalent in such backwater planets.

For Braylon, who traveled beyond Pandora, trees got the least of his attention, focusing instead on light gymnastics to test his newest enhancements, courtesy of the PDA. Eventually the demonic voice roared again and he agreed to its offer. He would test his stamina, stubborness and skills, get in shape so to speak, and in turn he would get his equipment back.

" _Show me, mortal. Show me why should I pick you instead of someone else._ "

(Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters – Pokitaru: The Kidnapping)

" _Start with that tree._ "

A fallen tree blocked Braylon's path. The only way he could pass was either with a jump or sliding below the trunk. He went for a quick slide followed by jumping over a rock that came after. Every movement was executed with precision and efficiency. There was no useless displays of ability, no pointlessly wasted energy.

" _You take way too long, mortal. One of my brothers would crush you before you even got a chance to do anything._ "

Braylon wasn't offended, being adapted to harsh words from his brutal training at the hands of his uncle on Pandora. Ignoring the commentary, he kept running forward until he reached a wall.

" _Climb it as fast as you can._ "

Activating the PDA, he materialized his Holo Sabre, the orange-colored holographic tool that shot out of the device like a claw in an animal's paw, jumped and stabbed the hard rock. There was no need for extreme force, as the solid light cut a hole in the wall with the efficiency of a warm knife when cutting butter. With his free hand he grabbed a small rock that stuck out. After that he removed the Sabre and repeated the process until he reached the top.

" _You wasted a lot of time there. Do you think you will have that much luck when my brothers start chasing you? Honestly, I am dissapointed._ "

"Why don't you do it, then?!" Asked the irritated Vault Hunter.

" _I would rather leave that task to hopeless mortals._ "

"You are such a prick."

" _And you are a_ _filthy mortal_ _. Get used to it._ "

The bright orange light, the same that appeared on the beach, came once more, and once more it brought a loot chest. Braylon opened it and found a strange-looking pistol. After a brief examination, he found an even stranger insignia on the barrel: UAC EMG. He had no idea what that meant but it was easy to tell that he wasn't pleased.

"This isn't my revolver." He frowned. "I want my revolver!"

" _Do I look like charity to you? Be happy with what you got. Its owner has no use of it. Not now, at least._ "

"I. Want. My. Revolver."

The voice sighed. " _Foolish humans. Foolish and greedy humans. Alright, but first get some clothes on. The last thing I need is to be associated with a predator who can't control his carnal urges, haunting the forests and traumatizing children._ "

His eyes widened at the voice's hint. It was true. He was still butt-naked! This whole time!

"Crap! Can't you just teleport some?!"

" _Sure, do you want some tea with that? How about a cake?_ "

"Alright, alright! Just stop with the sarcasm."

" _There is a human hunter below you. Here is your opportunity._ "

He nodded and walked until he reached the edge, all the while holding the unwanted pistol. There truly was a human hunter below him, probably searching for animals. He wore a simple green shirt, light brown pants and black shoes.

Thanking God for him and the hunter being alone with no one else in sight, he quickly murmured an apology for the stunt he was about to pull. Why, for he simply jumped down and delivered a flying kick at the man's face, laying him like a rug.

"I just knocked a man unconscious. Naked and in the middle of the forest." He said in disbelief. "And for clothes nontheless. I can't believe I fell so low."

After stripping the man down to his shoes, leaving only his gun, Braylon quickly dressed up to cover himself from the world. No one needed to see his shame.

" _Let's see how fast you run. Turn left, then run until you reach the cliff. Be a good dog, and you may get a_ _biscuit_ _._ "

Cursing silently as he turned, Braylon went into a restless sprint towards the cliff. His enhancements, coupled with his skills, granted him envious stamina, seen only in olympic athletes. Funny, considering the fact that his body belonged to the "average" category.

The cliff and the loot chest were real, as was the "reward" he received. His family heirloom, the revolver named Unforgiven, and a Shield, a device that forms a barrier which absorbs all physical damage the user would have taken instead, The Bee. There was also some ammunition for the revolver.

" _Here, enjoy your piece of antiquity._ "

"I will, no thanks to you."

For the Shield to work, it had to be attached somewhere on the user's body, mostly belt. Because Braylon had none, he decided to store the heirloom and the Shield in the PDA by activating a light on said device which scanned the items only to make them dissapear.

 **New items stored in ECHO inventory. Updating systems.**

(MadWorld – Get It Up!)

" _Oh-ho, looks like the inhabitants have the burning desire to meet the stranger._ "

"What are you talking about?" He asked before hearing an angry growl coming from the bushes behind him. It reminded Braylon of a bear, despite him never seeing one in his life. The vegetation that hid the bear was easily ripped out of the dirt and torn apart, freeing the way for a creature Braylon was sure it was no normal animal.

It was large, possibly larger than "normal", although judging by the appearance, Braylon started to think it was more of a lookalike instead of an actual bear. A twisted parody of the respected Earth being, with pitch-black fur emitting smoke of the same color, red eyes and a white exoskeleton in the form of a bone-like mask as well as bony spikes on the back and arms.*

"Great." He whined. "Another mad scientist I have to kill. As if the galaxy wasn't full of them."

The monster, as if on clue, immediately lunged at the teenager with the intention of breaking his spine with sharp teeth.

"Holy..." He jumped sideways then rolled back on his feet. "What did I do to piss you off?"

" _That's no animal, fool!_ "

" _What?_ "

" _Here is your next challenge. Everything up to now was nothing but a warm up. Now let's see how you handle the closest thing to a demon this world can offer._ "

" _What?!_ Shit!"

Braylon was so concentrated on the conversation that he paid little attention to the creature's arm swipe strong enough to toss him several meters away.

"That was... one hell of a punch..." Braylon commented as he rose to his feet. The shirt and skin now had bloody claw marks. At the same time the creature stood on its hind legs, something unthinkable for a quadruped. "But it'll take a lot more than that to bring me down."

Tightly gripping the pistol, he shoot three bullets at the beast. He was surprised when he saw energy bullets coming out of the barrel and melting bits of flesh in its abdomen.

"Energy weapon?"

The steaming, painful wounds made it roar in rage and agony. One more bullet to the leg and the creature fell to the ground. Braylon took the opportunity to rush towards its head, point the barrel at its forehead and fire until the head became nothing more than a pile of half-melted brains, bones and flesh. It twitched and growled all this time, hopelessly trying to cling to its life.

"Phew, it's over." He wheezed. "Looks like I was wrong about you." He spoke to the gun as if it were a living thing. "Hm?" The creature's corpse slowly dissolved into smoke in front of his eyes.

"It's... dissolving?"

" _This was not a living creature in the same way as mortals are. Negative emotions in mortal form, yet deprived of mortal weaknesses._ "

Braylon gulped. Living embodiments of emotions? It was something too hard to believe. Then again, he wasn't the one to talk. After everything he had been through, after seeing Hell before his time, he came to a point where he would believe into anything if he saw it. His mind returned to reality when he walked towards the cliff and noticed a, seemingly tiny wooden village on the coast. Village meant people and people meant information. The first thing he needed to do was to learn something more about this world and its solar system. Then there was that... thing... that attacked him. He must know more if he wanted to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.

With a snort he thumbed his nose and into the dangerous wilderness he ventured, with the goal of finding a way to reach that settlement.

* * *

 **HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

 **Ahem...**

 **Alright, so as I was writing this chapter, I got the idea for adding new features (you can see them below) that will add some improvement to the previous fic, nothing big, but it will kinda expand on the backstory and such. What else? Tell me in the reviews your thoughts. If I get no feedback from my readers, the probability of this story being successful will decrease.**

* * *

 **FACTIONS: - basically all groups that the MC had met up until certain point in time. Whenever the MC comes in contact with new factions, it will be recorded in here. Like I said, nothing special but I feel like it is a nice little touch.**

 **Faction skills are set of skills that are shared among the members of that faction. This is mostly for adding RPG-esque feeling to the story, but have no big effect on the combat itself, as it would be very limiting. However, if, for example, there is a creature made of electricity then it is only logical for it to be immune to electricity.** **If said creature has only, for example, shock resistance, then it means it can still be killed with electricity, but it will be harder than, say, killing it with regular bullets.**

 **1)** Legions of Hell – _"It was supposed to be our greatest achievement yet. Get in, find the Vault, kill whatever was locked in there, grab the loot and get out... and n_ _ow I learn that I unleashed an eternity of hatred on all of creation, on all that is mortal, in every reality out there. A threat that is far too big to handle. Lucky me."_ (Increased resistance to all damage, bonus ethereal damage)

 **2)** Creatures of Grimm – _"Ah. I remember the days when these creatures used to be relevant. It was long time ago, when humans were savages with fire. One of our greatest creations, you know? Developed by our most powerful brothers to serve as our extended hand, a disease that was almost able to wipe out all mortals from existence! But then the Enemy started playing dirty, introducing new knowledge to that filth, evening the odds. Now, when humans are savages with gadgets, the Creatures of Grimm became more of an annoyance than anything else, cockroaches if you will. For us, not for them. For humanity they are still a threat... somehow._ " (Ability to acquire multiple bonuses with age, ability to track humans who experience negative emotions)

* * *

 **PDA BIOPEDIA:** **\- this is a section where I will put entries regarding creatures encountered through the story. Whenever there is a new animal/creature/whatever that may or may not be a threat, it will go here. Below is an example of how it will probably look like.**

 ***Entry #1:** Ursa

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** _"If an Ursa has any purpose, then it is definitely to serve as an example of how my brothers had little to no sense of creativity. Not to mention that the enemy could probably sue us for copyright and win._ "

* * *

 **ARSENAL:** **\- here go all items used by MC, will be updated with each new item**

 **a) Pistol:** Unforgiven (Borderlands), Energy Pistol

 **b) Shield:** The Bee


	3. Nobody's Savior

(Brandon Fletcher – Cobblestone Village)

The road to safe haven that was the village was long, with lots of required gymnastics for our young Vault Hunter, mostly because he was in the middle of a forest where it was unlikely that someone would build a road. Thankfully there was no threat in sight the whole time, especially not something akin to the creature he killed earlier. There would be a wild animal or two during his journey, mostly deer or wild boars, but they were too peaceful to pose a threat to a fighter of Braylon's caliber.

It was afternoon when Braylon finally reached the village. The sun, while not in its brightest, still gave enough light to increase the beauty of the already marvelous landscape. It was neither too hot or too cold, but moderate enough for the locals to wear shorts or go swimming. The houses, a backbone of every settlement, were made entirely out of wood. Not a single one of them stood out in any way shape or form, as if everyone decided to copy the design of others. Sure, there was one on the far left that was a bit larger, and the one on his right looked so small that he could say for certainty that it only had one room, but it didn't really make a big difference. An art lover or historian would immediately start comparing the village with a medieval one from Earth in times long gone.

The only thing made of stone was one small, straight road leading seemingly to the docks, the one on which he currently stood, connecting every single house in town with even smaller, deviating roads, thus forming alleyways that spread all over the place. A well acted as the main core of the village, as it stood at an approximate distance between the docks and the entrance. The key word here is acted, because wherever Braylon looked, he would only find a couple or so villagers minding their business. Something rather strange for a town with that many houses.

Let's also not forget the existence of the docks, for while small, it would be a good explanation for the lack of men... if only there were any signs that indicated the presence of ships anywhere near the village. He would gladly go around and ask, but it seemed that the villagers weren't very fond of strangers. Whenever he would look, or even glance slightly, someone, they would either frown or walk behind whatever protection they had at the moment, be it wall, door or window.

When he arrived at the well, an old man had the courage to walk up to the stranger. If Braylon had to guess, it was probably the village elder. The long, white beard and hair, coupled with expensive-looking red toga, brown sandals and an even browner stick, were all the evidence he needed.

"Stranger." The man's hostile pair of brown eyes was directed at him. Despite being old, his voice held that strict, commanding tone that would make a common man tremble. "Are you the Huntsman we waited? The Huntsman that should have arrived from Vale a week ago?"

"Huntsman?" Braylon confusingly stared back. "I think you confused me for someone else, old man."

"You are not a Huntsman?" Braylon's response removed a portion of that anger. "Then who, and what, are you?"

"Just a guy who is kinda lost and has no idea where he is."

It should be noted that Braylon spoke with such confidence that surprised several people who watched the ongoing conversation. Even the elder noticed it, and commented.

"I see..." He stroke his beard while his eyes went down on his left hand for a moment. Braylon knew that he was looking at either his device, or the symbol carved into his skin and flesh, or both. "You... you hold yourself like an experienced warrior..."

" _A warrior. Go figure._ "

"And yet you are not a Huntsman..."

"That, I'm not." Braylon nodded several times.

"Why have you come here?"

"Like I said, I am lost. I... am on a journey and... I need all the information I can get on this area."

While he couldn't see it, it was obvious that the elder had a smile on his face.

"Say, perhaps are you willing for... a compromise?"

He frowned. "A compromise?"

It wasn't the first time he heard that word, or its synonyms for that matter. Whenever someone needed a scapegoat for some dirty job, whether it be killing thy neighbor or hunting down a creature just for the sake of it, he would be the fool who would conveniently appear for that person to abuse.

When the old man was about to explain in detail the exchange of favors between the two parties, two gunshots, followed by cheers, echoed across the village. It was a sign for the villagers, who scattered in all directions, seeking a safe shelter that would protect them from whatever was coming their way. Only Braylon and the old man remained on their places, the former confused while the latter frowning more than humanly possible.

"What's going on?"

"Hmm... trouble..."

It was then when he saw them. A group of five people, four men and one woman, walking towards them with big smiles on their faces. What made Braylon think of them as being members of a gang was the fact that all of them wore black sleveless jackets with small silver spikes on the shoulders, presumably to give the appearance of someone who is better off leaving alone to do their business.  
Apart from having no other feature that would suggest a bigger position in the hierarchy, other than weird fashion choices and even weirder hair and eye colors, they were led by one men with purple dreads, holding a triple-barreled flitlock gun. A design that Braylon had never seen before, but also one that made him die of laughter in his mind.

" _Seriously? Flintlock gun? Are we in 1850s?_ "

"Feast your eyes on this, boys." Purple Dreads smirked. "Seems like our old man here is taking a walk."

"Where is my grandchild?" He demanded calmly. "I want to see her."

Purple dreads pushed Braylon to his right and reached the elder.

"You are in no position to make demands, got it? Now where is the money?"

Braylon felt the need to interrupt the conversation.

"Hey, fuckhead." Everyone turned to face the teenager. "I don't like the way you pushed me. Tell you what, I will give you a chance to aplogize. Then you will step away from that old man and give him back his daughter."

Purple Dreads stared dumbly for a second. A small grin appeared on his face before nodding and turning to see the reactions of his group. Two guys, one with short green hair and one with a brown undercut, approached Braylon, clearly confident in their strenght, and punched him in the stomach, making him kneel down.

"Now, as I was saying..."

"Heh." Braylon chuckled. "I barely felt that, you know?" He got up with speed that shouldn't be possible for a man who got a fist in the stomach, so it is no surprise that he managed to shock his attackers. "It seems to me that I need to give different arguments!" He punched the one with the brown undercut with such force that he sent him flying towards Purple Dreads. The two crashed and fell down like a bag of potatoes.

Angered, the mook with green hair tried to punch Braylon again. "Looks like you need a lesson too!" The Vault Hunter crouched and when he got up, he delivered a powerful uppercut that dislocated the man's jaw while also making him fall unconscious. The remaining mooks drew their weapons, both firearms, and fired at his direction.

"Son of a..." Braylon dived forward while also materializing the Jakobs revolver, Unforgiven. "You asked for it!" He fired two rapid shots, one for each mook, killing them with well-placed bullets in their chests. Because it was a Jakobs, a corporation known for making powerful weapons, the shots pierced through their meat, ripping away chunks and splashing blood. "When it just needs to be dead, it needs to be a Jakobs" indeed.

"Get off me!" Yelled the man with purple dreads as he shoved the lackey from himself. Getting up, he grabbed the flintlock gun. "Now you've-!" Before his warning could be finished, his gun fell into pieces, courtesy of Braylon's own firearm. "H-hey now... let's not get nasty..." Braylon calmly reached the leader and pistol-whipped him on the forehead, drawing warm blood that instantly covered a portion of the man's face. Pointing the steaming barrel at his jaw, Braylon asked a question he was sure he would get an answer to.

"Who are you working for?"

"I-I-I'm my own boss!"

Another smack to the face. "You, your own boss? Little fish like you don't have what it takes to be their own boss, much less someone else's." He mocked. "So you better tell me who is your real boss and where he is before I break every bone in your body."

"O-okay." The man sighed, trying to hold back tears. "Okay. W-We are members of Hutton's Gang. You must've heard about us, right?"

"Cut the crap and get to the point."

"Alright! We are a tribe that constantly moves around Sanus to find a village we can raid to gather supplies. Found this village and... said "what the heck, let's go for it"."

Braylon turned his to see the elder, who stood in his place, apparently unmoved by the acts of violence performed by the Vault Hunter. "Is this true?"

"Yes, I'm afraid. They are led by a good-for-nothing criminal named Duke Hutton. From what I heard, he is a convict that escaped from the prisons of Vale few years ago."

"Vale?"

The elder raised an eyebrow. "You don't know Vale?"

"Afraid not."

"Have you been living under a rock?" Purple Dreads asked innocently.

"You shut up! Nobody asked you anything!"

"But... Vale!"

"What about it?"

"It's one of the four biggest cities on Remnant, dude! You can't "not know" about Vale!"

" _Remnant? Never heard of such planet... and there is no data on my PDA about it either._ "

" _Because this is not your reality._ "

" _...What?_ "

" _Apparently that rift led you to a reality different than your own._ "

" _You knew? You knew and you didn't tell me?!_ "

The man with the purple dreads, seeing how his captivator's face not only twisted in various expressions, but also turned a dark shade of red, then paled, only to return back to red, started feeling insecure about his physical health and asked fearfully: "Uh, you alright?" Seemingly returning back to the world of the living, Braylon replied: "Shut up! Can't you see I'm having a conversation?!" The man, now that he received what he thought to be a hint for an upcoming psychotic breakdown, turned his head towards the town elder, who shrugged in response. Braylon pistol-whipped the man for a third time, knocking him out, and spoke with the elder.

"You... I guess your "compromise" had something to do with this trash, right?"

"Yes." He nodded, ignoring or seemingly unnoticing Braylon's violent act. "I was honestly doubting your abilities before, but you proved your worth. So what is your answer? Will you help our village getting rid of Hutton's gang and save my granddaughter?"

"In turn I want an answer to every question I ask."

"You got yourself a deal."

Braylon put hands on his hips and sighed. "Alright. Let's see what our little birdie has here."

"Y... you are searching him?"

"Why not? If he has something that can help me find the hideout, than it will be more than necessary."

Looting the unconscious gang member gave more fruits than Braylon hoped for. Apart from finding custom-made bullets that he couldn't use, he also found a functioning, collapsible holographic tablet in one pocket.

"I've never seen something like this."

"Where are you from again?"

"A far, far away place. And, please, don't insult me."

"I aplogize."

Braylon flipped the device in his hands, trying in vain to find a way to open it. "So what is this thing?"

"That is a Scroll. A very useful device easy to handle because it can be collapsed, much like a scroll made of paper, hence the name Scroll."

"Hmm..."

"I suggest you take that one. Out there, a Scroll can make a difference between life and death."

Convinced, Braylon decided to keep the device, or rather, its technology. He placed the Scroll in his right hand while activating the scanning lights of his PDA. The device dissapeared in front of the elder's eyes, who was intrigued to see the technology at work.

"If I may ask, where did you put the Scroll?"

"Nowhere. I simply digitalized it, broke it down and let my own device absorb both the technology and its functions."

"Amazing. I never saw something like that in my whole live."

Braylon grinned confidently. "Yeah, that's why I kick ass."

* * *

The feature that allowed Braylon's device to absorb the Scroll and integrate its technology into itself is called Tech Assimilator. Basically what it does is digistructing a piece of technology, storing it in the database and picking the parts unknown to the PDA, which will then be absorbed and added to the alredy long list of features. If the technology in question contains some kind of database, then the PDA will take the data and add it to its own. For this process to succeed, the assimilated database must contain new information, previously unknown, otherwise it will get deleted, as if it never were there in the first place.

Assimilating the "Scroll", as the elder called it, proved to be the best decision Braylon made that day. The plethora of information he acquired was extremely useful. Aside from learning the location of Duke's hideout, he also received some personal info about Purple Dreads, called, in fact, "Purple Dreads" Martin, some guy who went to juvenile because he "accidentally" stabbed a teacher.

In short, a bandit.

You see, bandit used to be a term given to brigands and petty marauders, who infested mountains of Europe and deserts of America. These organized criminals realized they could get a penny without sweat, so they went for the line of lesser resistance. Living from today to tomorrow, knowing that sooner or later they would hang from the first tree they come across, this wretched waste of society was willing to do everything to survive, even if it meant acting like parasites. Nowdays, it became a blanket term to describe gangs, clans or even tribes formed of nothing but murderers, thieves, psychopaths, arsonists and midgets scattered on outlaw planets like Pandora. Being a bandit meant being a threat as much as everything else, meaning that peaceful inhabitants were free to kill you, regardless of their moral codex. Not even nature could bring the "survival of the fittest" law to its extremes like desperate humans on a deathworld.

Born and raised in such environment meant that an individual would receive a very unique kind of mentality. Behavior that would be condemned as savage on a civilized planet is mundane on others. But even then, few are the planets where death is embraced with open arms like on Pandora. In fact, death is so common that people simply shrug when their relatives die. The sharpest among the audience will soon understand what... "possibilities" such mentality can bring. Just to name one: a mercenary is better paid than your average local town mayor.

The young Vault Hunter observed the bandit camp from a small hill located near it. Being in the middle of a forest, the camp was surrounded on all sides with thick vegetation. Intelligence was something Hutton's Gang had plenty of in its ranks, seeing that they built a wooden stockade, complete with a gate, to defend themselves from unexpected ambushes. For Braylon, it simply meant that he had to deal with smarter-than-average bandits.

As for the Gang itself, there were only few tents, three small and one large, suggesting that it was a relatively small group. The larger tent was probably the living quarters for the boss himself, Duke Hutton, and quite possibly the girl's prison.

" _Are you going to waste the whole night just sitting there and doing nothing?_ "

" _This is harder than it looks, you know? I need to save the girl._ "

" _That mortal never specified in which condition he wanted to see her..._ "

(HOME - Scanlines)

Slapping his head slightly, Braylon used the darkness to approach the camp's stockade. With a whisper, he ordered the PDA to activate the infrared vision, which was done with a blink of his eyes. The energy pistol proved to be rather useful against the stockade, since it made a noise much quieter than his revolver would., along with burning a hole large enough to fit through. Braylon sneakily infiltrated inside the camp. Unfortunately a guard spotted him and pointed the gun at his forehead before he could stand up.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The man grinned.

Braylon tagged along and raised his hands slowly. Before the guard could do anything else, he materialized his Holo Sabre and turned the guard into a cripple for life with a quick swipe. Knowing that, should the guard scream, he would alert the whole camp, the teenager finished the job by placing the blade below the guard just as it fell, resulting in a rather gruesome death.

Since plans never go as they should, another guard, a woman, noticed Braylon and fired a shot in the air with her rifle. He cursed before dashing towards the nearest cover. A stray bullet hit the barrel, his cover, and made it explode, releasing the water that was stored within. Braylon returned the favor with a shot of his own, melting a hole in the guard's stomach large enough to see through.

The proverbial Hell broke loose as the cacophony of screams filled the quiet night. There was profanity, there was rage, there was fear. Braylon quickly ran away from the scene before more problems came searching for trouble. It wasn't long before the boy heard an alarm that would suddenly change everything, immediately followed by a loud crash and multiple gunshots.

"Beowolves! Beowolves!"

" _Heh... looks like someone else is going to take care of the bandits._ "

Proceeding towards the bigger tent, where Duke was supposed to hide both himself and the girl, he was able to see the unraveling carnage at full extent. Through the now destroyed gate, dozens of creatures resembling humanoid wolves rushed into the camp, hastily mutilating as many humans as possible. What surprised Braylon was the same color theme he saw on that bear-like monster applied to these ones as well. The similarities were so astounding that the only difference Braylon could came up with was the physical shape.*

But Braylon wasn't there to admire the modus operandi of someone else, he had a job to do. So he ventured further towards the larger tent. Since everyone was busy with evewryone else, he had the freedom to sneak around the camp without any problem.

There he was, near the entrance. A lot of commotion could be heard coming from the inside. Something shattering, followed by screams of both man and woman, ending in gunshots. All accompanied with loud, rhythmic clip-clopping of hooves. As Braylon was about to remove the curtains, something suddenly crashed into him like a speeding train, sending him flying several meters backwards.

He was sure that a rib or two had been broken by the impact alone. The weight of the object above him made it harder for him to breathe. When he raised his head slightly, he saw the weight, which was nothing else than a decapitated corpse that blocked his view.

Something tore the tent's fabric, clip-clopped some more and let out a bull-like cry, a cry familiar to him. Braylon, still stunned by the violent clash, slowly removed the decapitated corpse from himself. Some of the blood that still poured out stained the borrowed clothes.

" _Oh, fuck..._ "

We will never know for sure if Braylon was aware of it, or at least able to understand his actions, but his eyes started tearing up as a feel of incomprehensible dread suddenly bombarded his psyche the more and more he stared into the demon that chased him before he escaped through the rift. Now that same demon stood only few meters away from him, tall and threatening just like the first time they met. Its teeth were bloody red, with bits of bone and viscera stuck between them. A man screamed as he foolishly stabbed his knife into the leg of the giant. He met his end when said giant picked him up like a doll, turned upside down and ripped him in half by stretching the legs.**

Braylon's mind almost reached critical failure, as he desperately tried to figure out how did the demon got in the same reality as him. Words slipped away from both his mind and mouth as he mumbled and crawled backwards. What puzzled him more was the fear he felt, despite, he thought, him already having an acquaitance with Hell and demons.

" _W-why d-d-do I f-feel this f-f-fear?_ "

" _It's only a natural reaction when a prey sees its predator._ "

" _S-still..._ "

The two never broke eye contact. While Braylon was terrified beyond reason, the demon desired for nothing more than carnage, ready to snap him in two like a twig. He wasn't the only one who noticed the elephant in the room. Both the "Beowolves" and the bandits became aware of the terrifying presence. And while bandits experienced same paralyzing fear like Braylon did, the black-furred things wasted no time in assaulting the demon, who proved to be more than a match for each of them.

" _T-this is my chance._ "

Braylon knew that, in his current state, should he go against the demon, he would definitely loose. That is why he decided to skip past it, go to the tent and find the girl. While there was no doubt that none of the attackers would even begin to scratch it, they would definitely provide enough time for him to find what he came for and get out.

A girl chained to the bed, like a dog to its house, in the middle of the mess that was inside the tent, mumbled and cried, traumatized, as she continuously stared in one fixated point without even noticing his arrival. With his Holo Sabre he destroyed the chain and approached the woman, who began screaming and struggling as soon as he touched her. Having no other choice, he was forced to knock her out with one punch so that he could pick her up and remove himself before things went out of control.

He returned to the hole in the stockade he made earlier, squeezed through along with the woman and statred running. Only this time, however, he decided to take another route, as going uphill would only slow him down. Not even five minutes passed and he already heard the hellish hooves fastly approaching behind him. Cursing slightly, Braylon prepared himself for yet another chase through the woods.

* * *

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he last heard the restless clip-clopping and to be honest, he didn't really care. As long as he was on a "safe distance" from the demon, he thought, everything would be fine. The girl was still in his arms, unconscious and unable to perceive anything that happened around her.

They were currently at the edge of a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by the forest. Large rocks were scattered all over the place, some as tall as a human while others barely reaching one's knees. Having found one rock to sit on, Braylon decided to put the girl down as he would wait some time to gather his strenght. Contrary to popular belief, running around the forest while holding another human can be pretty tiring, even for individuals with cybernetic enhancements.

It was only when he stopped running that he take a good look at the girl. She was tall, bit taller than him, with long brown hair and, he checked, green eyes. Everything about her screamed average human to him... except a small pair of bear ears sticking out from her head.

"What the..."

The ears were soft to the touch, much like those of a real animal. He had to check it himself, lest he would start thinking he was hallucinating. His fingers pulled one ear softly, just to be sure. They were real.

And they grew out of a human's head.

"Oh boy." He hid his face in his palms. "What have I got myself into?"

" _Hah! An even lesser being than a mortal!_ "

" _She looks human to me._ "

" _Looks can be deceiving. Don't get fooled by this pathetic excuse for a mortal. Her race is even lower than that of humans!_ "

He raised his left arm and stared the carved symbol. It was still there, painful and grotesque, just as when it appeared back then. Whenever he would make contact with the entity, the five-pointed star would start bleeding. The more it bled, the more pain he would feel.

His eyes then turned to the moon and his jaw almost dropped. This planet's moon was shattered! One big chunk of the astronomical body was completely missing, shattered into tiny pieces that drifted away, yet remained eternally frozen in place. It was a completely mind-boggling experience for Braylon, as it clearly violated the laws of nature once he remembered how the world map of Remnant looked like. As for the stars, they were rather mundane and displayed no abnormalities.

"What is wrong with this fucking place?" He whined before hearing once again the cry he was sure he had shook off back in the forest.

(Dark Souls 3 – Dragonslayer Armor)

" _H-How did he find me?!_ "

" _You still haven't figured it out?_ "

The Vault Hunter immediately got up and materialized his Unforgiven. He knew that he had little to no chance of success. Fighting aliens, beasts and battalions is one thing. Fighting a demon, well...

Nevertheless, he also knew that, if he hadn't deal with the the threat, he would never be free from it. So he prepared for the worst once he heard the hoofsteps coming closer.

" _That symbol on your arm. Others can track you down because of it._ "

"Are you serious?!"

" _Of course._ "

"And you didn't tell me?!"

" _You never bothered to ask._ "

One distant rock suddenly exploded as the demon smashed it with a punch. Some tiny pieces went so far that they reached Braylon.

" _Hiding and running are pointless now._ "

" _Are you telling me to fight that monster?! The bandits earlier didn't do shit against it!_ "

Another rock exploded just as Braylon went out of his hiding spot, in search for another one far away from the girl.

" _That's because they don't have what you do._ "

" _Which is?_ "

" _Just focus on the fight._ "

" _Easy for you to say..._ "

His cover blew apart as one large red hand easily smashed through it and went for his chest, throwing him out in the open. He bounced like a rock when tossed at the sea before he finally stopped, his face buried into dirt and grass. The gun fell somewhere away from his hand.

" _Damn... that strenght..._ "

If he could speak, he would tell you that he felt like he got hit by a rampaging bull, only ten times worse. Breathing became even harder as he started coughing blood. He thought that one of his lungs was probably pulverized. Nothing that his PDA couldn't heal, given a certain amount of time. But time was a luxury he couldn't currently afford, as he had to roll sideways to avoid getting burned by a green fireball. Every movement brought him great pain in the chest, to the point that he was unable to move properly. The hoofsteps came closer and closer.

Braylon raised his head just enough to see the giant's fist getting coated with green fire. Said hand would then grab him by the left hand and lift him up. The pain he received from the burning hand was enough to make him scream as loud as he could. It felt like he was burning alive, despite the physical injuries being nonexistent. A type of pain that went beyond the abilities of a simple nocireceptor found throughout the animal kingdom. Him being able to remain conscious was nothing short of a miracle.

" _No... I must... resist..._ " He was even unable to form complete thoughts. " _I... can feel it..._ "

" _This is so pathetic, it is painful to watch._ "

For a moment he thought it would be the end of his short life. He would die at the hands of the embodiment of death that stood before him, who was enjoying every bit of the show, finding it rather amusing. For Braylon though, it wasn't fun, it was an experience he simply wished he would never experience again. Still, he knew that, should he survive, he would relive such a thing countless of times, only with different stage and actors.

That is, if he survived.

As a sort of cosmic justice of some kind, his mind rolled back all his past deeds, his crimes, his heroic acts, everything suddenly rushed in front of his eyes. There were times when he simply wished for his life to end, to just die somewhere and be forgotten by the rest of humanity, just like many others had before him. Everytime it happened, the irony would kick in, and he would immediately wish for the exact opposite.

The same thing happened now.

" _No... I can't die... not like this! Noo_ oooooo!"

There are times when people near death get a surge of adrenaline where their will to live far surpasses their current state, giving overwhelming strenght to ensure even the smallest odds of survival. Unlike others of his kind, Braylon didn't feel the fear of death. No, he had the confirmation of life after death before he even died. But the fear of returning back to that place, when he just got out, was far stronger than any pain this demon could inflict upon his body. It only required a fraction of a flashback for his fighting spirit to burst back to life.

With a mental order sent directly to the PDA, the materialized Holo Ripper through the red palm and into the arm. He could hear cracking of bones and tearing of flesh as the demon let out a monstrous, ear-splitting scream. It released its grip on his arm, allowing him to fall down. As he did so, the still activated holographic chainsaw split its arm in two, showering its user in green blood and gore.

Braylon decided that the demon's suffering wasn't enough, so he pierced its right thigh till he was sure he reached the bone. With a quick slash to his left, thus violently releasing the tool from the flesh, the giant kneeled before Braylon, now screaming even louder. But as he went in for the finisher, he saw at the corner of his right eye the other, healthy, fist quickly approaching.

He was sure that the blow not only disintegrated his right ear, but also fractured his skull. He couldn't even feel falling down on the hard dirt, as the concussion screwed up his senses. The only thing he was able to do was to roll until he could see the starry night sky above him, or rather, a messed up image his eyes were able to catch.

The demon made sure that the human got his wrath-filled message, as it stomped full force until it reached his body. It was so loud that even his ears were able to pick up the noise, despite being occupied with a hellish buzzing sound. The blurry figure stood tall above him, and while he was unable to see its movements well, he was able to figure out its next move.

Stomp him to death.

It lifted one leg and quickly brought it down on him. Before it could do that, however, he materialized his Holo Sabre and held it upwards like a nail that was about to meet someone's foot.

The effect was immediate and expected. The creature, unable to see the surprise in time, brought its hoof right down the Sabre, which pierced said hoof and went so deep that it almost touched the knee. It screamed once more before moving the injured leg, loosing balance and falling backwards with an echoing thud.

" _This is my chance... I... need to..._ "

Lifting yourself back on your feet with a concussion is quite hard. Braylon stood up, only to fall back down, just so he could rise once more. The strenght was leaving him and his legs were failing to support his weight. He approached the demon, before tripping over something he failed to spot in time. Braylon fell on the demon's stomach. It felt like falling on concrete.

He materialized his Holo Ripper onced again and used it to climb over the beast's body, stabbing once in a while, until he was sure he reached the head. While it was true that his vision was impaired, he was able to recognize the grotesque demonic head with two eyes staring back at him. With a mighty shout, or its close enough substitute, he rammed the chainsaw through its teeth and and skull, the tip emerging at the back of its skull. Its activation was the end for the demon, because it kept ripping and tearing through whatever was hidden inside.

"Fuck! You!" He yelled as he pulled upwards, finally splitting the skull in two. The meaty plop he heard afterwards was a sign of victory, so he moved away from the now-defunct demon and laid on a rock.

" _Man. My everything hurts._ " He coughed. " _I... can finally rest... now..._ "

Feeling as if a huge weight had been thrown from his back, the young Vault Hunter slowly closed his eyes, praying that this night wouldn't be his last.

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #2:** Beowolf

 **Type:** Grimm - Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _There w_ _ere_ _these two brothers of mine way back then. The older one had creativity, but lacked materials to create anything. The younger, on the other hand, had the materials, but lacked creativity. One day the older one stumbled upon a mortal female, we are talking about the days when we used to walk among mortals right after we lost, and followed her around._ _He waited for the perfect opportunity, turned himself into a wolf and assaulted the mortal. The result was the first, and also last, werewolf, who got killed by another mortal, courtesy of the Anathema. The younger one saw it all and decided to copy his brother, just to spite him. And thus the first Beowolf was born. Now that I think about it, there is some sort of irony in its name, don't you think?_ "

* * *

 ***Entry #3:** Baron of Hell

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _You know, I always wonder why the so-called Dark Lord decided to leave these buffoons into the "royalty", instead of just using them as cannon fodder. Their intelligence is only a match for a brick..._ _ugh... Sure, they are far tougher than any mortal, regardless of race, can ever hope to be, but that is pretty much it. Don't let the title fool you. While the title of "baron" could give you the image of someone who earned that position by being strong, there are brothers of mine who are far stronger out there. I suggest you strongly pray to Anathema that you never encounter them._ "


	4. Reward and Punishment

Sleep is a state where both mind and body hibernate, though not in the true meaning of the word. This natural phenomenon is characterized by a drastic inhibition of muscles and senses. What makes sleep important is its curative purpose; to restore the body so that it can function properly. When applied to humans, a good sleep can rejuvenate even the most tired of the individuals. Even physical pain can falter with sleep.

Like with everything else, sleep has its weaknesses too. For example, if an individual experienced a heavy physical trauma, the chances of being well rested decrease drastically. That isn't to say that someone won't fall asleep. It just means that their sleeping session will be more akin to torture at best and a coma at worst.

Another thing to look out for is trauma. Simply put, a trauma, of the psychological type, is a damage to one's psyche when they experience a distressing event for which they were unprepared for. While death is yet another natural occurence, not many are mentally prepared to witness it, especially if death knocks on the door of someone beloved. The end result is trauma, often lead by things like depression.

Say, what would happen if someone got a combination of the above-mentioned problems? We, or at least I, can't say for sure, as it is rare for someone to experience such tragedy. To answer such question with facts, one needs personal experience. Take our teenager, the Vault Hunter known as Braylon, for example. His sleeping session had been nothing short of a tragedy in its pure form. The moment he would fall asleep, he would start having vivid nightmares that bordered on reality, waking him up with almost twice the speed. When awoke, he would have to fight back against a seemingly imminent coma, ignoring all sensory input coming from his surroundings. He would resist long enough to fall asleep once again, thus repeating the cycle.

And while a common mortal would most likely die from such wounds, Braylon only had to pass a hours-long Herculean task during which his PDA would send nanobots, chemicals and various other things to repair any and all damages his body received, ranging from torn muscles to broken bones. After he awoke for the seventh time, or so he thought, he found himself staring at a wooden ceiling while his body lay on something so soft that the most logical conclusion was a bed.

" _Where am I?_ "

He moved his head around to acquire more information about his whereabouts. Everywhere he looked, he would see things made of wood. Wooden walls, wooden table, wooden chair, wooden door... There was no doubt about the quality though, as everything looked like it was made by professional hands. When his eyes instinctively turned to check his body, he was only able to see a large red blanket covering it. He moved the blanket and found out that he was naked once again.

" _This is really getting out of hand._ " He sighed and lifted up his upper body. Bright sunlight coming from the window on the opposite side of the room blinded him temporarily before his eyes adjusted.

" _The sun is out already?_ " He checked his PDA, which already adapted to display time of Remnant. " _Morning? What even happened?_ "

" _You won, that's what happened. Even though calling it a victory would be insulting_ _to_ _everyone's intelligence..._ _aside from stealing merit._ "

Braylon's mind briefly flashed back to his hopeless fight against the giant red demon.

" _Is... is it dead?_ "

" _No._ "

" _What?! But I killed it! I know I did!_ "

" _Ha! As if mortals are able to truly kill anything. Please, all you_ _did was depriving my brother of a body._ "

His hands started trembling again.

" _So... all that pain, that urge to keep fighting, the idea that I could defeat an immortal being... was all for nothing?_ "

" _Of course!_ _What, did you honestly think a worm like you could kill a being higher than yourself? Even your whole concept of killing is a farce._ "

He clenched his teeth.

" _Ever since their creation, mortals were limited to_ _destroying physical bodies. Anathema may love you, but I doubt he is foolish enough to allow you to kill each other in the true sense of the word. You are already enough of a problem as it is._ "

" _So you are basically saying he will come back?_ "

" _Oh, he will alright. For a decade or two. Perhaps longer. Until then, he will have to endure everyone's mocking and laughing. It will probably build enough hatred for him to torture you in the most painful of ways before he decides to send you back down here, where he will keep torturing you for the rest of eternity._ "

His head fell down. " _Then what's the point in fighting anyways?_ "

" _Unless you want to see your own kind suffer under the Dark Lord's rule..._ "

" _...You really know how to push buttons._ "

" _When you have a whole eternity, you get lots of time to practice_ _many tjings_ _._ "

He sighed once again. " _Right._ "

The wooden door suddenly opened by the very girl he went to save. Unlike him, she looked fresh and energetic, with a big smile on her face. That happiness turned into embarassment when she saw him sitting on the bad completely naked. Her face quickly became red as a tomato.

"O-oh, sorry... I didn't know..."

Braylon, not bothered by the situation at all, raised an eyebrow and asked for some clothes. She handed him a wooden bucket with all of his (borrowed) clothes. Before he forgot, he decided to ask for a belt. She went out of the room and returned five minutes later with a black leather belt.

"My grandpa said he would be happy if you take it. Looks good on you too."

He didn't respond. Instead, he stared at her pair of animal years. Something that she noticed.

"What? What is it?" She suddenly became very emotional. As if she waited to hear something from him.

"T... those..." He pointed at her ears. "Are real?"

Seemingly surprised by his question, she folded her arms and hummed.

"So what if they are?"

" _Why is she upset all of a sudden?_ Why do you have those?"

"I'm a Faunus. Is that a problem?"

"Faunus?"

"Yeah, you know... cat ears, fox tail, horns... Faunus."

"I... I never saw something like that before."

Now it was her turn to stare back at him, before she broke into a fit of laughter.

"I can't." She laughed. "It's too much!"

"What?" He frowned. "What's so funny?"

The laughing girl went towards the door and vanished from his sight. After he got dressed, he went out of the room and downstairs, where he met the old man sitting at a large table.

"I see you're awake." He motioned Braylon to sit near him. "My granddaughter told me you... never saw a Faunus before."

He nodded. "Yes. The place I come from has no Faunus. I would rather not talk about it."

"Hmm..." The man stroke his beard. "Thank you for saving the only treasure I still have on this cruel world."

"About that, how did I get here?" The girl came out from nowhere and brought two glasses of water.

"Oh, she said she woke up on a rock, walked around and found you near a corpse of a monster that didn't look like a Grimm at all. She decided to bring you back to the village."

" _Heh, so much about being a hero._ "

"But grandpa," she interrupted. "I'm telling you, there's no way that thing could have been a Grimm. Unless they finally decided to change their fashion choice."

Braylon raised an eyebrow. "Grimm?"

Now both looked at him surprised. "Don't tell me you never saw a Grimm either."

He shrugged. "What can I say, I was very sheltered when I was a little kid."

This was the proverbial walking on thin ice. Should the man figure out that he was selling fog, and he already looked suspicious, problems would never end. Both of them blinked but while the girl simply waved with her hand dismissively as she walked away, the old man seemed to grow even more suspicious. Braylon eventually decided to drop the act and tell him that he wasn't a native to the planet. The reaction, while not unexpected, wasn't unpleasant either. He simply required some proof, something that Braylon had in tons, and accepted it.

"You seem awfully calm for someone who told you that they are not from your planet."

"Understanding before judging is a virtue unknown to many. Besides, it would also explain why your injuries healed so quickly that even our doctor couldn't believe it."

"Wise words." He took a sip.

"You said you wanted answers, correct?"

"True. If I want to move around, I need to know at least the common knowledge."

The man sighed and leaned back on his chair.

"Where do I start?" He stroked his beard once more. "You must know that there are four major kingdoms on Remnant. These four shelters are Vacuo, Vale, Atlas and Mistral. Nothing but glorified carcasses of humanity, each with different cultures and mentalities. We are currently on the continent of Sanus, and the closest kingdom is Vale. The reason why so many never leave those damn walls are the Grimm, monsters who wish to make everyone's life as miserable as possible."

"Are the Grimm those things in black with white masks?"

"Correct."

"So... if I wish to see a library or do something important...?"

"Then you must go to Vale."

"Huh... but if you have so much troubles with Grimm, why don't you do something?"

"That's a Huntsman's job."

Braylon chuckled. "So, what? You gather people with guns and go hunting?"

"No, no. A Huntsman is a person who goes to those flashy academies where they learn how to fight those damn monsters."

"Interesting." He stood up. "I guess it's time for me to go, then."

"Wait!" Braylon stopped. "Hold on! I forgot something important! Something very important!"

The village elder suddenly rushed, as much as an old man can, towards a large wooden chest. He opened it and took out a weapon.

"This... some youth found this under a pile of bones in the forest yesterday. My hands are too old for this, but you... it might come handy to you."

Braylon took the gun in his hands. He couldn't believe his own luck when he recognized the weapon as a Jakobs shotgun made years ago, with a cylinder that could hold eight shells. It was no common weapon, but a Striker, a shotgun known for being extremely powerful. He was so happy that he couldn't help himself but smile, despite the weapon being empty.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. You saved my only grandchild after all."

The sudden commotion outside stopped their conversation. Braylon turned around and approached the window on the left of the door. He never had a chance to look outside as a black-furred hand shattered the glass and grabbed him by the throat, dragging him towards its owner who came to view soon after. It was the same type of creature that attacked the bandit camp. Now it was there, trying to forcefully infiltrate into the building through the tiny window with the intent of crushing his skull with a bite. Struggling, Braylon materialized Unforgiven and fired a shot right between its eyes. Not even the mask made of bone could protect it from the bullet at nearly point-blank range. The brains turned into a refined pinkish mist as the cranium exploded like a water balloon.

" _Almost tore my head off! Which reminds me..._ " Braylon immediately materialized his Shield and attached it to the belt. It made a few beeping sounds before creating a barrier that surrounded his whole body.

"Grimm?!" The man trembled. "They never went this far!"

"Can you two hide somewhere?!"

A wall behind the old man came crashing down as another creature barged in like a wrecking ball. It was of the same physical design but with some additional features, such as angular skull and increased height. However the most notable addition were the claws on each hand which, unlike the rest of the bony armor, were dark red, almost like blood.*

Braylon swiftly took aim and fired a bullet into the Grimm's right shoulder. His Shield, known as The Bee, had a special ability that truly made it legendary. Should an owner use a gun while also having The Bee active, with its battery full, the Shield would amplify the bullet's power by a considerable margin. It is because of this ability that a generic, low-quality firearm can turn into a death dispenser when used by a professional.

And yet the bullet had enough force to break through the armor and into the flesh, but not enough to do serious damage. We are talking about a .44 revolver with enough amplified power to fire bullets that could easily compete against an anti-materiel rifle in terms of strenght.

"Uh-oh."

The creature took a step back due to the power of the bullet. Then it decided to return the favor by charging at Braylon and smash him into the wall. Even if he felt no pain, thanks to the Shield absorbing all damage that he would have taken instead, he was still in a bad position. Being held by the throat by a bloodthirsty monstrosity was rather unpleasant for the teenager.

Braylon activated the Holo Ripper and shoved it to the Grimm's throat. Even the copious amounts of blood that fell from the wound, staining its shoulder and arm, wasn't enough to make it stop. Instead, the creature roared loudly before turning around and tossing him to the other side of the house.

"Okay, ouch. I felt that through my Shield..." He complained after his body hit the wall and then the ground.

"Grandpa!"

Braylon suddenly heard the Faunus girl's voice as she rushed forward towards the fallen elder. His gaze turned back to the Beowolf. It looked him, then the girl, as if having trouble to decide whom should it attack first. Since the girl was closer, she obviously became the primary target.

"No! Run!"

But it was too late. The Beowolf lunged at the two of them and mutilated their bodies with its red claws and large teeth. He swore he saw it chewing on an arm frantically, like a rabid dog.

" _Can't you fucking give me some ammo or something?!_ "

" _I thought you would never ask. Here._ "

A bright flash appeared at his right. This time it brought a large black case. Seeing that it was still occupied with the girl and her grandpa, he quickly opened it, took one of the six packs of shotgun shells, materialized the Striker and reloaded. The Beowolf turned around just as he finished to place the last shell into the cylinder.

It roared before tackling him to the ground. The claws tried furiously to breach his Shield and dig into his body, shaking him constantly as if he were a plaything. He pushed the Grimm slightly with his legs before firing a deafening shot at it torso. The Shield's battery wasn't full, so the shot served only for knocking it back and cracking the armor. It was only when The Bee recharged completely that the tables had suddenly turned.

Striker is a shotgun that earned its title because it had the means to back it up. With the damage output far stronger than a normal Jakobs shotgun, combined with increased accuracy and minimal bullet spread, you would get the Striker, a 12 gauge shotgun as accurate, and deadly, as a sniper rifle. When you compare a .44 bullet with an amplified 12 gauge shell, even the strongest revolver known to man will feel like a BB gun. So it's not a surprise when the next shot left a gaping hole where the Grimm's heart should have been. After all, such weapons were designed to deal with alien creatures, who are far stronger and resistant than the monstrosity in front of him.

"Not so tough now, huh?!" Even the Beowolf stared at its wound. He could see fear in its eyes.

Not that he cared after what it did.

Third shot detached the left hand, leaving behind a bloody mix of bone and torn muscles.

Click-clack.

"Fuck you!"

Fourth shot turned the right knee into dust. The Beowolf fell backwards, howling in pain.

Click-clack.

"Go on! Scream, damn you!"

It raised the right arm towards him. The same arm soon fell down as the fourth shot split open its stomach.

Click-clack.

"How's that for instant surgery?!"

The howls soon became whimpers of fear. Braylon ended its life by pointing the barrel into the mouth and firing the fifth shot.

It was dead.

He looked over to what used to be the elder and his granddaughter. There was nothing he could do to save them. He was too late to do anything. But he would be damned if he would allow that to happen to everyone else in the village. So he reached the black case, grabbed the rest of the shells and headed outside the house.

* * *

With the last Beowolf dead, the village became safe once again. The group of monsters was relatively small in size, a pack of eight individuals, including the two he killed before. Some had to be tracked down. Others came searching for him. The latter group was the most disturbing, as the Beowolves became very agitated the moment they saw him. He could swear he even saw some of them foaming, as if the urge to kill became uncontrollable.

(Grim Dawn – Lonely Moon)

However, the hunt came with a heavy price. Most of the villagers were heavily injured, if not killed. Several families were ruined because their loved ones were dead. Some buildings were destroyed, as the monsters tried to scratch their way into their insides.

This, in turn, redirected the hatred towards Braylon. The villagefolk thought of him as a Huntsman, something that he was not. Their reasoning came from witnessing their his fights with the Grimm and the gruesome ways he killed them. He tried to explain himself, but all he got was stones being thrown at him. There was nothing else to do but to run away. Leaving the village behind, Braylon had no other way but to follow the road. He only stopped running when he was sure the people wouldn't chase him.

The broken moon appeared once again hours later when he travelled to a lake. Its light reflected on the surface of the water, as did the stars. Despite the beauty he had in front of himself, the Vault Hunter decided to sit beneath a tree. He was truly tired of "screwing up" things, he thought, like he did back there. The only thing he needed was some alone time.

But even his alone time couldn't be enjoyed peacefully, as he would start having flashbacks about his past deeds, the horrors he witnessed, and most importantly, Hell. The image he received when he first set foot in that eternal prison would be forever engraved into his memories. It was a point when his mind decided it had truly seen enough. Just remembering the images, most of the times spontaneously, would make his whole body hurt. He was absolutely sure that sleep became a luxury he would never be able to afford anymore.

" _So... all of it... it's true._ "

" _Correct. From now on, always remember that you know far more than any other mortal. As such, you became a priority._ "

" _But what can I do if I can't even kill one of them?!_ "

" _Better safe than sorry._ "

" _I don't even know where to begin._ "

" _Look. There are only two mortals in the whole creation who are truly able to kill my brothers. They are so effective in their work, that the Anathema himself gave them the power to do it. One of them stopped an invasion by himself and is now trapped into a sarcophagus. The other is still active and much more amusing. Never in my exsistence had I seen my brothers run away from a mortal with a ridiculous attire and hairless head. Even the enemy camp had a laugh._ "

The Vault Hunter sighed as he leaned his head to the tree behind him. His PDA displayed the map of Remnant, with a red dot indicating Vale.

" _Looks like_ _it's gonna be a long walk... great._ "

(Minecraft – Cave 4)

Braylon jumped to his feet, grabbed the energy pistol and immediately aimed at the darkness hidden behind few trees and bushes, where he was sure the noise came from. His breathing stopped for a moment as cold sweat ran down his cheeks.

" _Grimm?_ "

Despite being tired from the journey, Braylon was still able to fight if needed. Although, he had to be honest, he really wished that whatever was hiding was anything but another demon like the one he already fought.

Speaking of demons, a paranoid thought sneaked into his mind. What if the giant wasn't dead? What if its hatred was enough for it to hang itself to this plane of existence, seeking revenge on the mortal that injured it? What then? Would he be able to fight?

" _Was that... a growl?_ "

* * *

 **I think it is time I introduce you to a type of monsters I call Heroes. To put it simply, the Heroes are a subtype that can be shared with all creatures, regardless of factions. You can recognize a Hero thanks to its unique features not present in others of its kind (example, all knights have silver armor and iron swords, but a Hero will have a golden armor and two golden swords). Normally these creatures will be much tougher than their common counterparts, hence why they earn special names or titles.**

 **And now for the first questions!**

 **M4PTP: Oh man, I will try to answer as best as I can. So here we go.**

 **a) He will probably be with team RWBY again. As for the antagonism, well, we will see. He will definitely be a party breaker, if that is what you mean. Though as for now, I cannot guarantee anything, as I am still in the first chapters.**

 **b) I am not sure, but probably will. Remember that this is a crossover with both Doom and Borderlands, so you can kinda expect for the darkness to be turned a bit higher than in the original.**

 **c) If there is one thing that I know about writing, is that there were (and still are) a lot of writers out there who dislike their creations, destroy them and start again. I think Camus, though I am not sure, asked his friend to burn all of his works after he died. Luckily, the friend did something completely opposite. I have to be honest, there is not much for me to dislike in the previous story, it'** **s just that I felt like rewriting the thing again. I believe I can write a good fic, and if this means that I have to begin from scratch to improve myself, then so be it.**

 **d) No, no. This is in no way professional. I am simply writing this for fun, so I don't feel like restricting myself to pointless things like professionalism. If I were to reap a profit from this, then it would be a whole another thing entirely. But since I am writing this just because I feel like I want to, and since writing is a form of art, though I don't consider myself an artist, then I experiment. Who knows, it may turn great, it may turn bad, but at least I know that I am able to do it. Hopefully someone will read this and get some kind of inspiration to do an actual work of art, worthy of the old masters.**

 **Hope you are satisfied with the answers. If there is something else you would like to ask, though not something heavily spoiler-related, I will try to answer.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #4:** Crimsonclaw (Hero)

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _It is not uncommon for some individuals to be the best of what their species has to offer. Although I couldn't care less, it appears that this Beowolf was very old by the time you fought it. Even among pack leaders, this specimen displayed great strenght. My guess is this being one of my brother's work, even though I found nothing thst could prove it. Ah well, it is dead anyways._ "

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Pistol:** Energy pistol, Unforgiven (Borderlands)

 **Shotgun:** Striker (Borderlands)

 **Shield:** The Bee


	5. Invasion

There was no mistake. The sounds he heard were the typical canine growls. What confused him was their tone. Normally a dog or a wolf, when growling, will increase or decrease its tone, but it will always remain indentifiable. Whoever, or whatever, was currently growling had either a sore throat or it was a bad actor. In any case, Braylon fired a bullet with the hope of scaring the potential threat.  
Everything went quiet before the growls became even louder.

Then, in an instant, something jumped out. Before falling, he was able to recognize the creature as a red fox. Any other detail had to wait, for he was struggling with said animal, who bit his right hand and tried to tear it apart. The fox flew off him with a swift kick to its stomach. It smacked against the ground before it leapt to its feet.

"What... what the fuck?"

He was able to see it clearly. What he thought of a fox turned out to be a horribly mutated version of the gracious animal commonly associated with one's cunning. Several patches of fur were replaced with large lumps of glowing orange flesh, strongly resembling tumors, spread all over the body. It had three tails and one extra jaw sticking out from the original. The eyes were glowing in a shade of orange that could easily be confused for red. *****

It jumped ferociously at him with the same intent as before. Braylon impaled it through the body with his Holo Sabre, effectively stopping it mid-attack but not killing it. Actually, it looked like it didn't mind having a solid-light sword the approximate size of an average human arm or larger rupturing the vital organs, tearing the flesh and breaking bones, stuck inside itself. It still tried to bite him as its life depended on it. Not even several shots with his revolver seemed to incapacitate the monster he had in front of itself. It died only after getting shot in the head. Aside from occasional pieces of skull and brain matter raining everywhere, the wound also released an orangish cloud of gas which quickly scattered in the air above him.

"Gah!" He yelped while tossing the lifeless corpse aside. "That was a close one." He stood up and examined the mutated fox. "What the hell happened to this poor thing? These mutations aren't normal."

Braylon took the attack as a warning sign that he needed to move away from the area. He switched to the energy pistol before running down the road. Howls could be heard echoing through the forest from both his right and his left. One mutated wolf ambushed him during his marathon. It was halved in mid-air with a precise application of the Holo Sabre. The same orange gas flew out of this animal as well.

He could see the outlines of buildings in the distance. Several more animals were killed on his way towards what he considered to be a shelter. That thought slowly changed the more he approached it, for he noticed dim lights scattered around the town, each with different levels of brightness. It almost reminded him of...

Fire!

"No... no, no, no, no!"

Several buildings were beyond any hopes of salvation. Those untouched by fire were either destroyed or abandoned, and he was still in the outskirts. He stopped in front of a burning house. The blinding fire made him unable to completely see a figure walking towards him. It was not until he heard moaning that he noticed the figure's odd movement, similar to the shambling of someone with an injured leg. At the distance of two meters, the figure's moans turned into growls as the arms were extended forward. It was also the distance from which he saw what walked towards him and reacted accordingly, by jumping backwards and shooting with the pistol until it died. The horror and disgust he felt at seeing the rotten pile of flesh that lay in front of him made him wish to puke his intestines out. It behaved as if it were alive, despite being in an advanced state of decomposition. ******

" _Since when corpses behave like the living?!_ "

More undead appeared, effectively surrounding him on all sides and blocking every means of escape. Everywhere he looked he would see at least one walking corpse shambling towards him.

(Protricity – Light 'Em Up)

" _I'm surrounded!_ " He clenched his teeth. " _Fuck it. If they want war-_ "

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. He instinctively elbowed the undead, crushing its nose, then materialized Holo Ripper and spun around, slicing it diagonally.

" _At least they are weak..._ "

The second closest threat received the Ripper into its stomach. After it bent in pain, Braylon pistol-whipped its head. The enhanced strenght crushed the already damaged skull with ease.

At least there was little to no blood...

" _Engaging them in a battle is pointless._ " He heard the voice while he shot a group of undead with the pistol. " _These possessed carcasses have a source. Find it._ "

" _Possessed?! By whom?_ "

" _By the likes of him._ "

Braylon turned his head in the opposite direction only to see a burning skull with red eyes and long horns approaching towards him like a speeding rocket. *******

He quickly jumped to the ground, cursing loudly as he heard the unbearable shriek flying past him and somewhere down the road. Raising his eyes from the dirt, he spotted a corpse awkwardly crawling towards him. Two shots with the energy pistol stopped any further movement.

" _Fuck ammo, my life is at stake here!_ "

The Vault Hunter decided to swap his Holo Ripper for Unforgiven, coming to the conclusion that he should make some distance between himself and the monsters. With the help of both firearms, he opened a temporary hole in a wall of zombies that blocked his path and swiftly squeezed through. Turning around the corner, he saw a large pile of unburied remains blocking the road. There was no way around it, but there was a window to his right, which he used to jump inside a house so that he could evade the horde.

Safety had to wait, however, as a mutated hound crashed through another window and wasted no time in attacking him. Even if the room was poorly lit by a lightbulb dangling on a wire from the ceiling, he was able to see the attacker because of its eyes and glowing lumps of flesh. His guns illuminated the room with brief flashes, revealing scattered books and overturned furnitre.

After the hound has been dealt with, he went towards the door which was located in the second, and last, room this house provided. An axe chopped through the wooden object just as he grabbed the handle, taking him by surprise. The door was destroyed after the third hit, revealing a man in overalls. All it took was a brief glance for the man to go berserk and start barking with that distorted voice of his.

"Aagh! Mortal!"

Now that he took a better look, Braylon could see that the man was possessed, just like the corpses outside. His orange eyes and the faint, orange mist that emanated from him was a dead giveaway that the person had been under the control of the forces of Hell. ********

" _What are you waiting for? Kill him._ " The voice scolded Braylon who ran back to the other room.

" _I can't kill someone who is probably unaware of his actions! He is possessed!_ " He mentally yelled as he dodged the attack.

" _You have neither time or knowledge to fix the issue. So don't think twice. He definitely won't._ "

Braylon was cornered. Despite having the means to solve his situation in his own hands, he was reluctant to use them. He grinded his teeth together in both rage and panic. The palms became drenched in sweat as the possessed man growled as he slowly approached the teenager.

" _Damn it! Damn it!_ Damn it!"

The possessed reacted at his cry of despair by raising his axe, ready to split the boy's skull in two with a merciless attack. Braylon had no choice but to fire repeatedly into the man's stomach, who let out a twisted, yet still recognizable as human, cry of pain. He only stopped firing when the man in overalls fell to his knees, the orange mist that Braylon assumed to be a demon quickly evaporated from its host and spread into the air above, dissapearing as if it never existed. The body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Shit..." Braylon muttered as he stared wide-eyed at the corpse. "This was creepy as fuck..."

One of the undead from outside fell from a window on the wood that made the floor. It slowly pulled itself up and moved forward. Its companions tried their best to replicate the same actions, with poor results. Braylon killed as many of them as he could before rushing out of the building through the door.

The road on the left was blocked by a pile of burning furniture. What remained was the road on the right, where Braylon could see the town square in the distance. The only obstacle he had to face was another possessed man, this time one with a pair of wolf ears and a tail. However, the sharp claws and fangs gave him the appearance of a monster, rather than a human. *********

"Hell awaits you!"

Several burning skulls flew around him as well. They attacked Braylon as soon as they spotted him. He was able to destroy one with a carefully placed shot. It shattered into tiny pieces as its high-pitched shriek echoed through the street. His revolver was empty, so he had to use the energy pistol to destroy the second one. The last one was dangerously close to him, so he had to crouch, thus missing his chance. It was then when the possessed man with wolf ears attacked, growling almost like a real wolf, only several times more disturbing.  
"Mrrgh! Your flesh is weak!"

He tackled Braylon to the ground, scratching everywhere he could. The Vault hunter suffered no damage due to his Shield, but it was clear that, should the man keep attacking, he would soon feel lots of pain. Braylon fired a shot into the man's chest. It failed to do as much damage as he expected, and it seemed that the flaming skull from before decided to attack once more.

"Sorry!" Braylon apologized as he materialized the Holo Sabre right into the man's skull only to dematerialize it seconds later. Blood and brain matter shot out of the fractured head like water from a broken hydrant. But Braylon had no time to show his disgust, as he was busy dealing with the second threat.

After destroying the third, and last, flaming skull, the young Vault Hunter ran towards the town square, hoping to find the source of this nightmare. Lots of human bodies were piled up in various places. Some were burning while some, he swore, were wriggling as if something that was hidden beneath them wanted to be free.

The town square was perhaps the most tragic site this ruined town had to offer. At the far left stood a wooden cart filled with both human and animal corpses. Almost every house was damaged beyond repair and the stench of sulphur mixed with dead meat was enough to turn upside-down even the strongest of stomachs.

What Braylon didn't expect was someone else standing there as well. Indeed, it was a very tall and emaciated humanoid with peach-colored skin and stigmatized hands. The frame of this abnormally thin being looked so frail and weak, that Braylon thought that it must have been either a trap or an optical illusion. It slowly cracked its head towards him, flashing a twisted evil grin and black beady eyes. **********

" _Agh... a mortal._ " The creature never moved its jaw, it just kept humming and chanting incoherently.

Braylon frowned. "Are you the one who destroyed this town?"

" _Ehe... hehehehe..._ " It straightened itself as it cackled. " _Perhaps... perhaps not..._ "

" _No, he didn't._ "

The monster tilted its head.

" _He is a serf._ _And a poor one at that. Nothing relevant enough to waste our time on._ "

All humming stopped. Braylon felt like he should be very cautious.

" _How... how did you call me, brother?_ "

" _A serf. Or better, a serf of serfs._ "

Its fingers popped and cracked as they began twitching.

" _You... you will pay for this insult!_ "

The monster suddenly raised its hands in the air, unleashing columns of fire at the Vault Hunter.

"Dear God!" Cried out Braylon as he was barely able to jump out of the way. " _That was really close!_ "

He quickly got up, swapped his pistols for the Striker and went behind the cart. Meanwhile, the demon slightly raised its hands. Two orange columns of light, one for each hand, striked the earth below. Then, two burning skulls replaced the columns in a brief, but bright, flash accompanied with thunder.

" _Did he just fucking summon two of those things?!_ " Braylon's eyes threatened to fall out of their sockets at the sight. " _He can spit fire and summon more demons?!_ "

" _I told you he is a serf, didn't I?_ "

" _How do I kill him?_ " He peeked out of his cover and saw the two skulls going towards the corpses in the cart.

" _A powerful physical blow should be enough. He is aware of his weakness, so he will try to make some distance between you and him with cheap sorcery and_ _even cheaper lackeys_ _. Be ready to attack when the time is right._ "

The early-mentioned skulls dissapeared inside two corpses, giving them new lives. Lives that had been quickly removed with few swings of the Holo Sabre. He then had to jump away as the cart suddenly lit on fire.

" _You can't escape me, mortal!_ "

"Who ever said anything about escape?" He taunted and fired a shot at the demon's chest. It groaned loudly before clutching the bloody wound.

" _A mortal can hurt me? No... you must be..._ "

Distraction was all Braylon needed to "kill" it. He dashed towards the demon, pointed the gun at its spine and fired a shot from very close range. Dozens of pellets tore through the ill-looking skin and dug into said spine.

"Mgraaargh!"

Not satisfied, he pointed the steaming barrel at the left ankle and fired again. The leg was torn away with huge amounts of red blood as the demon fell to its side, uttering an anguished laugh. A final blast at the chest split its body in two, turning it into a bloody heap.

" _Good riddance, but it_ _still isn't_ _enough. As I said earlier, find the source and destroy it._ "

"Where should I look for?"

Lots of walking corpses and mutated animals fastly approached the square from the road in front of him. He swapped the shotgun for a pistol and Holo Ripper combination.

" _You can follow a trail, can't you?_ "

* * *

Fighting his way through hordes upon hordes of nightmare turned flesh, Braylon followed the trail of cadavers and twisted monstrosities. He eventually reached the outskirts of the town again. The night was still as bright as it had been hours ago, when he was near that lake. As for Braylon himself, restlessly killing everything that moved made him a bit tired. He promised to himself that, should he survive, he would find a nice place lay down and sleep until the afternoon of the second day.

The wave-like road passed through a tiny swamp and ended somewhere on a hill, not far from the town. Aside from hearing the typical sounds of the night, he also heard echoing screams, roars and other abominable things unpleasant to the human ear.

(Doom Metal Volume 4 – The Demons from Adrian's Pen)

Deciding to solve the situation as fast as he could, the young Vault Hunter sprinted across the road and towards the swamp. There was a large rock that stood on the left of the road at some point. A possessed human ambushed him as soon as he passed. Braylon dodged an incoming fist and jammed the Holo Ripper in his stomach through his right hip. The vibrations made by the holographic chainsaw shook the man as he roared in pain. Braylon pointed the barrel of the energy pistol at the man's jaw and fired. Both the head and the jaw fell off the body, melting into a disgusting pile of goo.

Down the road, when he already set foot in the swamp, he was attacked by another demon, identical to the tall one he found in the town square. We can safely say that they looked like twins.

It raised its hands rather than attacking directly. Said hands began glowing as four undead rose from the ground and surrounded the one who called them. While they were trying to attack Braylon with bites and scratches, the demon tried to set him on fire. Dispatching the former humans was easy, but when he killed them all, their "master" would just raise another group. So Braylon came to the conclusion that he had to eliminate the root of the problem.

When it summoned a group of undead for the third time, Braylon sliced them in two with his Holo Sabre and went straight for the demon. Stabbing the sabre into its chest, Braylon moved the sword upwards until the head and torso were cut open in two. The remains splashed to the ground with a meaty squish.

The path was now danger-free for most of the time. A small group of undead would sometimes appear, but they all went back to their eternal rest. Everything changed when he encountered the Grimm. More precisely, a new type of Grimm. A boar-like creature with four eyes, large tusks and bone-like plates all over the legs and back. It was a small group with only four specimens. ***********

One of them squealed loudly, alerting others. Even if he stood approximately five meters away from them. The same Grimm that spotted him rushed recklessly at the Vault Hunter, squealing all the way. Even if the eyes were just yellowish spheres, he was able to see madness behind them, as if the creature lost all common sense when it spotted him. Same thing happened with the humanoid wolves the locals called Beowolves.

Braylon simply pointed the gun at the Grimm and pulled the trigger. Its head exploded into a refined pinkish mist as the body stumbled and fell in front of his legs.

" _Boars? Seriously?_ "

" _Don't blame me. I didn't design those._ "

" _What idiot did thi-_ "

Being attacked while lowering your guard is the only logical thing that can happen. Even the Grimm knew that rule, as one of them tackled him from behind. The other two tried to stampede him to death. Braylon, since he suffered no direct damage, was able to roll away at the right time.

He was also angry.

" _You were saying?_ "

His eyes locked with the Grimm responsible for the humiliation. He motioned with his hand for it to try again. The Grimm complied and sprinted forward like a bullet shot from a gun. Braylon was prepared, for instead of dodging the attack, he decided to take a stance.

"You chose the wrong human to fuck with! I am no normie!"

The two collided. Normally in a fight between a human and a boar, the latter would probably win. But Braylon was no normal human. He had far superior strenght that surpassed even those of the best bodybuilders, so it is no surprise that he grabbed the boar by the tusks and completely stopped the attack.

"I'm gonna turn you into a damn salami!"

He released the grip on one of the tusks and uppercutted the boar Grimm. It backflipped to the other side, allowing Braylon to grab it by the leg and lift it up. He then materialized his Holo Ripper and split its belly open, releasing its insides as if they fell from a piñata. Two remained.

Their next move completely caught him off-guard.

The two remaining Grimm simultaneously bent over and spun forward with incredible speed following the eight-shaped pattern. No matter the strategy, he would always be attacked by one of the two. Better receiving the blow of one than of both of them, he thought.

He decided to jump to the right, thus evading the spin attack of the right Grimm. It was as he predicted; the left one was successful where the right one failed. Braylon was sent flying into a tree, the Shield's battery depleted by two thirds.

" _So they are not completely brainless..._ "

The young Vault Hunter stood up and smiled.

" _But now it's my turn._ "

Swapping Striker for the pistol he fired at the successful Grimm. The energy bullets stunned his target, giving him the opportunity to reach it safely. When he came closer, he used the Holo Ripper to slice through the neck. Large amounts of blood sprayed out of the wound as the holographic utensil cut through meat and bones. The boar Grimm was sturdy enough to squeal in pain, but not enough to actually do something to defend itself. It was shaking as if someone hit it with a taser. The whole scene strongly resembled the butchering of a pig, only few times more violent and without mercy for the animal. In the end, Braylon chopped its head off, letting the dead body to fall to the side.

Only one remained. Braylon wasn't sure if it was rage or utter madness, but the beast decided to stop spinning, its only best defensive maneuver against him, and thought it would be a good idea to impale him with the tusks. Braylon swapped his current weapons with the Striker once more and jumped sideways as the Grimm went past him. He pointed the shotgun at its side while being mid-jump and fired. While the hole was small and neat, the internal organs blew out from the other side in a shower of gore. There was no need for the second shot.

Seeing that there was no other threat nearby, he decided to take a full sprint down the road and out of the swamp.

* * *

Out of every possible scenario Braylon had imagined, being in a cemetery was not one of them. The large iron gates were bent and rusty when he was at the entrance. The place itself was a disaster. Many graves were open, likely from the risen dead, the smell of sulphur poisoned the air and there was some strange red stuff scattered like a web all over the cemetery. Apart from the mentioned details, and the air being hotter than before, everything seemed normal. Everything, except a large black sphere in the distance.

Aware that there might be danger around every corner, Braylon took a careful step forward. When he moved his head to see if anything was out of place, and found out that it wasn't, he let a sigh of relief.

" _Welcome to my realm, little mortal._ "

This voice was much different than the one that talked to him. It was deep, calm and smooth, yet hoarse, guttural and filled with millenia of sealed hatred. It sent chills down his spine.

" _I will be your living nightmare for this night._ " It breathed out as if its throat was crushed. He was sure he even heard it coughing.

It was only now that he noticed the black sphere in the distance getting bigger and bigger. As if it were... moving towards him.

" _So tell me..._ "

Braylon realized that the spherical shadow was de facto a living being. How did he found out? He saw the shadow split vertically, revealing a large, red-colored eyeball with a reptillian black pupil staring him as if it tried to kill him with its gaze.

Finally, the shadow revealed itself.

" _What are you afraid of?_ "

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #5:** Tainted

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Beast

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Whenever we, or the enemy, enter into the mortal plane of existence, we tend to... confuse the natural balance. The enemy has no problem with this, as their presence bears more benevolent effects to their surroundings. We, however, are a whole another story. My brothers are so filled with negative emotions and other unpleasantries, that they unwillingly corrupt_ _everything near them, turning even the most harmless of beings into doomsday monstrosities. Some are so powerful that their mere presence can seriously twist the reality itself. This is why most of them have special binding seals that solve the problem... most of the time._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #6:** Possessed – Corpse

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _In my years-long career of Vault Hunting, I've encountered many things. Xeno beasts, bloodthirsty bandits and large battalions. But real, legit zombies? Hell no. I mean, seeing them in the movies is one thing, real life is another. Damn, does anybody stay dead anymore? Good thing they are so weak that a gust of wind can make them dead again._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #7:** Lost Soul

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Don't think even for a second that just because we share a common enemy that_ _there is brotherly love between us_ _. Truth to be told, anyone can't stand anyone else. The only glue that keeps the rest of those fools together is you-know-who. You really don't want to go against someone who is the most powerful being in the whole creation, right after Anathema himself._ _The rule down here is simple; might makes right, meaning that the stronger will despise the weaker. One of the weakest tribes down here are these fools. See, they are the type of brother that hates learning only to regret it later, complaining your ears off. They never learned how to form a proper body, so they decide to take someone else's, even if it's dead. Animal, human, plant... it doesn't matter. Thing is, they have the means to do it. And they are really good at their job._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #8:** Possessed – Former Human

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Human

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Before I talk about possession, you need to learn something. Humans, and mortals in general, are made of two things: the physical body, which is the puppet, and the aetherial soul, given by Anathema, which is the puppeteer. Possession is, simply put, forceful removal of the original puppeteer, who was replaced with a new one. The original is aware of the puppet's actions, but can't do anything on their own to stop it. Now, why do we need this when we can form bodies of our own? Simple, really. As it turns out, mortals are, at least the gifted ones, capable of sensing our presence through things like goosebumps, horrible feelings etc. Possession partially removes that problem, because mortals are more likely to describe it as a multiple personality disorder or something like that. It also covers our presence. But what you saw here is a rather radical method. Since my brothers gained freedom, nevermind that they will be punished for their actions, they simply decided to possess mortals with a technique that removes the mortal's soul completely from the body, making it unable to ever return to its favorite meat shell._ _I guess you can see where this is going..._ "

* * *

 *******Entry #9:** Possessed – Faunus

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Faunus

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _It appears that possession of these submortals causes severe side effects on their physical bodies, turning them into feral animals. Oh, you are wondering why I called them submortals? How else can I call something that has been created by mortals?_ "

* * *

 ********Entry #** **10** **:** Arch-vile – Reanimator

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I am not ashamed to admit that I outright hate them. Their fanatic obsession with resurrecting dead bodies is something beyond my abilities to comprehend. Not to mention their lack of physical strenght replaced with weak offensive tactics. What? You didn't know that sorcery comes from us, down here?_ "

* * *

 *********Entry #11:** Boarbatusk

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _First a bear, then a werewolf and now a boar. Am I seriously missing something? Like a theme? What's with the stupid fascination for animals? More importantly, how many variants of these monsters am I going to see in the future?_ "


	6. Human Prey

" _So tell me, what are you afraid of?_ "

And now we are briefly going to stop our story for the sake of asking you a question. What would be, in your opinion, a human's reaction to seeing a demon? Obviously one of the answers would be fear of the unknown. That is pretty much mandatory. But is it only fear? Seeing a demon with one's own eyes would truly be a life-changing experience and we are not talking about a change for the best. To see something that would defy or confirm your view of the universe would bring more problems than it would solve. Unless the individual tries to deny the reality of the situation, it would most likely end up tragically.

We know from Braylon's experience that seeing a demon, no matter how many times, will always feel like seeing it for the first time. A human mind struggles with what it cannot,will not, possibly fathom. Especially when said things are eye-openers.

I'm sure we all remember the early-mentioned spherical shadow that opened its eye. The moonlight revealed the thing that was hidden beneath, a silvery floating sphere crowned with a pair of black horns and four, approximately human-sized, arms and a bloody, teeth-lacking mouth so large that it looked like it's body was split in two. Why it had no teeth? Because they were torn out, hence the blood, replaced by an iron chain that probably served to stitch the mouth together, but failed miserably as it was slightly opened. What was strange was a faint light coming from the insides of the mouth. It was a shade of cyan that deceptively looked like a very light green.*

Braylon took a step back, unsure of how to react. The giant eye staring at him was rather unsettling. He could feel profound hatred behind that seemingly stoic stare. His instincts ran wild, the mind urging him to make a move.

" _Perhaps you are afraid of snakes and spiders,_ " The deep voice echoed in his mind as the demon stood still. " _tiny pests that can poison you with a bite, gifting you with a slow death in the middle of nowhere?_ "

His eyes briefly left the demon to check the surroundings. There was nothing else alive besides them.

" _Or perhaps you're afraid of big heights,_ " Its voice, while deep, suddenly felt like that of a human. " _knowing that if you fall, your exsitence could end in an instant or, worse, every bone in your body could be broken beyond repair, leaving you to rot in a wheelchair for the rest of your short life?_ "

While he didn't saw it, he could hear it taking a deep, raspy breath before bellowing from what he assumed to be its throat. " _Or, maybe, you fear infected wounds caused by pieces of steel that crawl all over your body, splitting apart your skin and letting your blood to fall free from your veins?_ "

Braylon became more paranoid with each question, fidgeting in place from time to time. And while the demon continued to remain motionless, he could swear that it enjoyed his unpleasantness and fear. On a body where body language was practically nonexistent, the eyes were the ultimate betrayers.

"I'm not afraid!" He exclaimed. How much he sounded convincing was questionable to both parties.

" _Is that so?_ " The black slit that was its pupil suddenly became larger. Braylon was confused for a second before he felt unbearable pain in his chest that made him fall on his knees and clutch his chest. " _I commanded your heart to stop beating_ _for_ _just_ _a second_ _._ _Do you understand now, little mortal, what are you going up against?_ "

"If you wish a fight, then fight without dirty tricks!" He managed to speak through his teeth.

" _Fight? Oh-_ _o_ _h, you misunderstood. This is not a fight, this is a one-sided massacre._ " His pain stopped abruptly. " _But far be it from me to simply end your life like that. It would be... boring. After all, you are the only mortal who successfuly escaped from my torture chambers. So come, mortal! Entertain me._ "

" _How can I do anything against that thing?! It's too strong!_ "

Braylon took the energy pistol and aimed at the expressionless demon. His fingers were unable to pull the trigger and his hands were shaking.

" _Am... am I scared?_ " His eyes briefly went down on his hands. " _I'm... shaking... I'm terrified... absolutely terrified._ " The demon, meanwhile, was as still as a statue. He screamed with all his might and forced himself to pull the trigger. Out of all shots that he fired, not one of them made it move even for an inch. He kept firing over and over until he calmed down and realized that it was completely pointless.

" _My turn._ " The black pupil expanded again. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. That was, until Braylon noticed that something below him started glowing. When he looked down, he noticed a purple glowing circle with strange symbols written below his feet. He had no idea when, or how, it appeared, but he knew he had to move. Throwing himself out of the circle, he landed on the dirt as the circle began glowing brighter with each passing second. All of a sudden, a strange red mist shot out from the ground and upwards, never leaving the boundary that was the circle.

" _When did that appear?!_ " His eyes shot back to the floating monster and widened as its mouth started expanding, even more so than he thought possible, flaring up in that strange bluish color. He was sure that he saw a silhouette deep iniside that furnace of a mouth. It turns out he was right, for two flaming skulls shot out of the mouth and towards him. Before he moved away from their line of attack, he noticed how one skull was that of a human while the other not so much. Despite that, they both shared the same trait; their flames and eye-dots were of the same color as the demon's mouth. And while they reminded him of the ones he saw in the town, these ones weren't shrieking, but moaning and crying.**

Braylon ran around the cemetery, dodging several tombstones in his way. The fiery duo followed close behind. Realizing that further running would lead nowhere, he decided to jump down, turn in mid-air and shoot the chasers. They were weak enough to break apart with few shots.

A crimson flash to the corner of his eyes warned him to turn around. The demon's gigantic eye was glowing with the brightness that rivaled that of the moon above their heads. Such brightness made him shield his eyes from the fear of being blinded during a crucial moment. It was then when he was hit by a beam and sent across the cemetery and into a wall. The pain he felt was exactly the same as the one he felt when that goat-legged demon tried to kill him, only multiplied by several times. He fell down after the beam dissapeared. A circular shadow quickly plunged his vision into darkness.

" _Do you wish to know why you, a mortal, may destroy the body but never kill me?_ " Braylon didn't respond. He was barely able to breathe through the amount of pain he felt. Instead, his eyes only darted upwards, meeting the demonic eye. " _It is not your call. How could you be worthy of such a thing, a creature that lives on borrowed time, in a borrowed meat shell?_ _Oh yes, we know everything about mortals, each and every individual. Their fears, their doubts, their worries, their weaknesses... all of them, simple products caused by a cunning hand. Our hand._ "

His body stopped responding to his commands as it slowly flew above the ground only to be set back on his feet. He knew that this move was supposed to insult him. And it did. His hateful stare did nothing to scare the being in front of him.

" _Look at you, pathetic and weak, just like your predecessors. So easy to manipulate, so easy to break, so easy..._ " The pupil expanded. " _...to torture._ "

Braylon sprinted forward with with surprising speed, materializing his Holo Sabre and attacking. He crouch-landed behind the demon, changing his weapon back to the revolver and pistol combination. Something squishy could be heard falling on the dirt, which muffled the sound. Both opponents turned around at the same time, staring each other in utter silence. The demonic eye moved towards its right pair of arms. One of them was missing. In fact, it lay below it.

It kept staring at its wound without showing even the slightest hint of pain. Then, the eye quickly turned its focus back to Braylon.

" _Congratulations, mortal. Forcing you to leave this valley of tears_ _has_ _became_ _much_ _more interesting._ "

Braylon growled. " _He didn't even feel that._ "

(Bloodborne – The One Reborn)

The demon raised his remaining three arms into the air for a few seconds. During the same amount of time, some strange orange symbols appeared in its hands and vanished soon after.

Then something grabbed him by the leg.

He looked down and there was a rotting hand rising from the ground.

Kicking the hand away with his other leg, he retreated for few steps back before looking around himself. Dozens of Possessed Corpses started rising from tombs. Some Tainted jumped on the walls and stared down at him. Something also rose from the ground at the demon's right. It was a pale-skinned hunchback with its flesh so twisted that the only facial features visible were the human teeth between a pair of twisted lips. It had dozens of glowing lumps on its back and chest, just like the Tainted, but slightly more expressed. Everything from below the chest was so thin that he was able to see bones hidden under the skin. The right arm, apart from having orangle blisters had three short but fat, purplish fingers that resembled claws. The left one was morphed into a bludgeon, with thin and sharp orange crystals sticking out from the surface, thus giving it more lethal power. Braylon's nose, despite being at a considerable distance, was able to strongly feel the smell of decay coming out of that abomination.***

It was a coordinated attack, Braylon thought. While the mooks would earn his attention, the demon that summoned them would be free to attack with anything it desired. For the strategy to work, it would need an endless stream of disposable grunts, where one fallen could easily be replaced by two. It had that and much more. With the endless supply of corpses for possession, the Tainted and the warped monstrosity, the plan could be executed without anything going wrong.

The first batch of undead proved to be no match for his Holo Ripper, which hacked through the Corpses with a single swing. But then he noticed another pair of blue-fire skulls quickly approaching. While one stayed and fought, only to be "killed", the other took a dive into the dirt. He would observe its further movements, but one Tainted dog was very close to bite him, so he had to concentrate on other matters. After he killed the Tainted, by grabbing it from behind and opening its throat with the chainsaw, he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder, followed by extreme pain. He set himself free and jumped away from the attacker; a skeleton inside a cyan, emaciated, ghost-like, human figure with two, barely-noticeable pinpricks of the same color deep inside the eye sockets. ****

" _Avoid contact with it if you wish to stay alive._ " Braylon used the Holo Ripper to try and cut the new addition to the small army he had to face. While it failed to hit the figure, as it passed right through, it did more than enough against the skeleton, which broke into pieces. The human figure let out a ghastly moan before being consumed by a bluish light, leaving behind scattered bones and the fiery human skull. He destroyed it before it could repeat its trick once again.

" _Crouch_." Without questioning the voice's intentions, the Vault Hunter did as he heard. Not even a minute later, he heard wind blowing above his head, like when someone swings something massive. Turning his head slightly, he saw the deformed monster inches away from him, growling with killing intent. His Holo Ripper was swapped for Holo Sabre, which made quick work of its legs. The creature fell down with a loud thud before Braylon curb stomped its head, using a broken tombstone as a substitute.

" _There is no point in fighting them._ " Braylon frowned as he looked at yet another horde of monsters coming towards him. The demonic eye became bright once more. Knowing what that meant, he rolled sideways, barely dodging the beam. He looked at the demon. " _He has built a good defence. If I try to approach him, the zombies will just form a wall hard enough to keep me busy. Even the energy pistol proved to be useless... damn it!_ " He dodged another beam while also swapping his current arsenal for the Striker. The demon, as if it knew his intention, lifted its arms and formed an energy barrier around itself, leaving Braylon surprised.

" _It is of no use, mortal. You are too weak to pose any kind of a threat to the likes of me._ "

As soon as it spoke, it was shielded by a group of Corpses and Tainted. Another warped monstrosity rose out from the ground. This one had the arm shaped into a cleaver.

"We'll see about that!" He boasted. "Right after I make a hole in your army!"

" _Then come. Come, towards your death._ "

The closest Corpse's head was crushed with a buttstroke. He blasted away the other Corpse, revealing putrid innards. Third and fourth were sliced in half, one horizontally and one vertically. As soon as the fourth's body split apart, he saw a Tainted racoon jumping at him. He crouched and grabbed the animal by the tail as it flew above him, smashed it to the ground and crushed it with his leg. Next was a skeleton with a woman's ghostly frame. He materialized the Holo Ripper and cut off its hands before crushing its skull.

There was nothing that could have stop him now. With a mighty battle cry he charged forward at the spherical demon. The holographic chainsaw reached the surface of the barrier. It screeched loudly as sparks started flying everywhere around them. He stashed the Striker so that his free hand could hold the other. The one-sided struggle went on for some time, as his hand threatened to bounce off the protective energy shield. Then, when all hope seemed lost, his eyes caught a glimpse of a crack right where his Ripper had connected. His right hand pushed down his left as the Ripper kept dealing further damage.

It suddenly broke with a loud crash, like shattered glass. The demon calmly remained in its position as the fingers of his right hand dug into its eye socket, leaving the eye intact.

Everything stopped. All noise around them dissapeared instantly. It was just the two of them. Two of them in a lonely world.

The eye was fixed on the mortal in front of it. Braylon replied in kind. But unlike the demon, he was unsure whether he had done a good thing, ending the fight, or a bad thing, where his situation went downhill more than he thought possible. He could feel the warm crimson blood coming in contact with his hand and dripping from it.

And yet... nothing.

It had done nothing to stop him.

But why?

" _This is not a victory, little mortal._ " It boomed calmly. " _This is a loss, for whatever you do, you will ultimately accomplish nothing._ " The black slit expanded. Even if he was unable to see it, he was sure that it was enjoying this moment, thus pouring salt on his wounds. " _Your actions are irrelevant. Nothing you do can stop us now._ "

"Shut up!" Braylon screamed furiously while changing the Ripper to Sabre. With quick and unrefined moves he began stabbing all around the eye, letting blood fall freely from the demon, who cackled in amusement. Falling completely under the provocations, Braylon stopped stabbing and pulled the eye out with his right hand. It fell to the floor, popping like a water ballon and forming a pool of blood and ichor under his feet.

" _Soon... very soon..._ "

He then reached one of the horns and kept cutting it until he was able to tear it off with his hands. With the newly acquired horn he stabbed the eye cavity, freeing even more blood than before. He did it again and again until the tip of the horn got stuck somwhere inside and he was unable to pull it out.

The demon crushed down like a sack, half deflated and covered in its own blood. Everything else that was brought back to life or was corrupted died with it. He coughed and walked backwards until he fell on his bottom. Braylon took a moment to take a deep breath. He lost his composure as soon as he regained it. Those cursed words rang in his mind.

" _This is not a victory... nothing you do can stop us... you will ultimately accomplish nothing..._ "

"Damn it!" He cursed loudly as one of his fists smashed into the dirt. "All of this... is for nothing! Nothing!"

Not only did he feel rage, he also felt humiliation. Despite his victory, he couldn't help but feel as if the demon let him win, rather than achieving it on his own. A final spit on his soul before it fled back to Hell.

His tantrum stopped abruptly when he swore he heard a noise coming from the corpse. Like a hiss of a snake. He looked up, and noticed that the corpse began shaking and inflating.

His eyes widened as he quickly got up on his feet and began running as far away as he could. A loud explosion sent him on the ground. Although technically, the explosion played a minor role. What actually threw him off-balance was a wave of energy, spreading in all directions. Red chunks of meat began falling from the sky as well. He spun around and noticed a huge red stain where the demonic corpse should have been.

" _Is it finally over?_ "

" _Not even close._ "

" _Okay, are you trying to make me angry right now?!_ "

" _That is only half-true. Tell me, do you know how he got here?_ "

" _...Oh._ "

" _You fool. He could have reached this pitiful reality in many ways. And you now destroyed your only chance of finding out how._ "

" _...Crap._ " He lowered his head. His foot stepped on something strange. " _What the_..."

He crouched and touched the thing. It was red and smelled of decay. A tendril of sorts. And a giant one at that. He followed the trail and noticed how it was connected to dozens of others, spreading all over the cemetery. Still, all of them seemed to follow a pattern, just like a plant; many leaves, one branch.

And that branch lead to a chapel on the very end of the cemetery.

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:  
**  
 ***** **Entry #12:** Har'Ga'Nesh, Eternal Jailor of Souls

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Easily one of the most disturbing individuals down here. Har'Ga'Nesh used to be one of the most graceful and magnificent of my brothers. After the fall, he used his charm to fool mortals into various... questionable acts, thus aiding us in creating monsters for our cause. It didn't last long, as Anathema punished him with a specific curse. From then on, whenever he appeared to a mortal, it would be in the form of a hideous_ _abomination so disgusting, that even the most foolish of mortals would flee from him. When we were thrown down here, the curse transformed him into what you saw. He changed his name to Har'Ga'Nesh and decided to torture mortal souls in his chambers for all eternity. Some brothers even joined his cause..._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #13:** Condemned

 **Type:** Aetherial – Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Do not be fooled. Mortals aren't born equal. Even down here we live in a hierarchy because none is equally powerful. What makes you think mortals are any different? Reinventing the wheel and rediscovering fire ad infinitum? In any case, the Condemned are m_ _ortal souls forever_ _trapped_ _down here, as a punishment for their actions. While most of their time is spent on blaming everyone and everything for the actions they did on their own, they can and will attack every living being on sight._ _A word of warning, mortals created by other mortals through synthetic means have no souls of their own. When they die, they stop existing. Serves you right for trying_ _to act like Anathema._ "

* * *

*** **Entry #14:** Abomination

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Sometimes the Lost Souls have refined tastes, refusing to possess corpses. Sometimes there are so many bodies to choose from, but not enough brothers to take control of them. Sometimes... some brothers find the idea of molding flesh as if it were clay to be a form of art or entertainment (or both), eventually forming beings known as Ghouls. While they may vary in purpose and strenght, they all have one thing in common; they definitely used to be_ _mortals, before_ _my brothers decided to unleash their creativity_ _to make (disposable)_ _slaves_ _._ "

* * *

 ******** **Entry #15:** Returner

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Some Condemned will feel the need for a physical body. Because Condemned are mortal souls, they lack the power necessary to possess the living, so they settle for dead bodies instead. The aetherial energy the Condemned have in abundance will project an apparition of their former bodies on the possessed corpses, similar to what you mortals call "hologram". You can dispose of them quickly by destroying the bodies they possessed. Doing so, you will scatter their energy, forcing them to return to their original state._ "


	7. Despair From the Dark

As he feared, the strange red mass had a source somewhere inside the chapel. More precisely, it was a hole where, he guessed, the altar was supposed to be. Everything was demolished inside the small building, leaving nothing but useless rubble as the red stuff completely covered the walls, just like a vine of sorts. The only source of light was a small brass lamp in one of the corners.

The most nauseating was the smell that invaded his nostrils as soon as he set foot inside the chapel. He was accustomed to various unpleasantries, as his line of work demanded it from him. And yet, this smell made him regurgitate whatever he had in his stomach as soon as he felt it. The concoction of sulphur and decay was so potent that he thought he would die from it, if such death was even possible.

No, he had to go out. It was too much.

"Jesus Christ..." He wheezed. "Bah! What the hell's down there?!"

After vomiting once more, he sat down and looked at the chapel, thinking about the best course of action. It didn't took long for him to realize that there was no other option available. If he wanted to put an end to this obstacle, he had to go down there. Besides, there was a possibility that he would encounter more demons in whatever was the place below. God only knew what were they capable of. Judging by the things he saw up to now, there was no doubt that it could be a long-term problem.

Sighing to himself, he accepted his fate as he went once more into the chapel. While struggling to not fall unconscious, he reached the hole, grabbed the red substance as if it were a rope and slowly descended into the darkness below.

(Mesektet – Forgotten Tomb)

He didn't know how much it took for him to reach the bottom. He knew, however, that it was both an annoyance and a pain. The red matter proved to be rather slippery to the touch. He had to go through the procedure with precision and cautiousness, clutching edges with hands and feet whenever he could. A wrong step could easily turn into his last mistake.

The only source of light in the middle fo the darkness was his PDA. His life was made easier by using it as a torch to illuminate everything around him in a small radius. Now that the feat was over, it proved to be less useful than before.

At the moment, there was no clear way for him to recognize his surroundings. The heavy and cold air was an indication of him being in a cave. The smooth stone bricks below his feet quickly removed that hypothesis. Raising his left arm, he decided to take a few steps around the room. There was nothing that could give him a clue, except for the entrance blocked by a pile of rocks and a wooden door covered with that red stuff on the opposite side. He gripped the circular handle of the door and pulled. It creaked loudly as it scratched against the floor. It looked like it was there for a very long time.

Passing a stairway that lead downwards, he found himself in another, much larger room. This one, to his surprise, was brightened with wooden torches attached to the walls and human-sized golden candlesticks, each with a pile of golden skulls as a base.

That room had all the clues needed for him to figure out where he was. Each wall had dozens of stone slabs stacked on top of each other, leaving enough space for bones or, in some cases, urns. There was even a pit in the middle of the room filled with bones of all shapes and sizes closed with a rusty grid.

He was in a catacomb.

How, or why, would demons decide to use them was beyond him at this point. One guess was to use it as a factory for producing an army of undead. But most of the bones were left untouched, so that was unlikely. What creeped him out more than naything else was the lack of demonic presence. The room should have been packed with them, yet there was none to be found. He remembered that he was dealing with a threat that was far beyond him and his tactics. All of this could have been an elaborate trap for all he knew.

One of the many corpses in the room was "fresh". It lay in the corner to his left above a pool of blood. Careful to not alert any possible demon nearby, he silently approached the corpse and examined it further. It was an overweight and dark-skinned bald man in red body armor, holding a machine gun in his lap that Braylon recognized as a product of the Atlas corporation. Whoever was the man, he died by multiple stab wounds in his chest.

He was reluctant to grab the weapon at first, thinking how it could have been a trap. After waiting a couple more minutes, he decided to take it anyways, along with two magazines stashed in one of the pockets. The dead had no use of guns.

" _Wow... looks really good._ " He thought while inspecting the weapon. For a tool that was old by several years, it looked as good as new. That is why people loved Atlas, despite it being no better than any other manufacturer that plagued the galaxy.

Reloading the new addition to his arsenal, he slowly walked towards an arch, the only thing that allowed him to reach the rectangle-shaped room. The sight made him stop dead in his tracks.

There were two beings observing something he wasn't able to see. One was tall with slightly tanned skin and an orange crystal formation sticking out of its back, shaking worse than a man with a seizure and tremors combined. The other was shorter and fatter, with a skin so pink that Braylon could easily mistake it for a pig.

Both of them turned around simultaneously and stared at him. He was able to see their true nature. The tall one was a humanoid, thin-legged hunchback with the torso so devoid of meat or fat, that the skin clung to the glowing red intestines like a blanket. Its feet were large and deformed, the fingers shaped to resemble the talons of a bird. It had a circular mouth filled with carnivorous teeth for a face and bundle of large red tentacles, each equipped with unique properties. One had eyes, one had spikes, etc.* The second one was, if his eyes didn't deceive him, a humanoid pig. A rotting humanoid pig with nothing but a golden sword held in one of its human-like arms.**

The fear known to Braylon came back, even if he was accustomed to it. Those two were demons, there was no point in denying it.

They looked at each other briefly. Then, as if some kind of silent agreement has been established, the tall one quickly shambled somewhere to his right, towards a hall. The undead pig stayed behind.

It squealed and groaned while Braylon readied himself for the inevitable fight.

"M... mortal... you... die!"

He was prepared this time. Nothing could take him by surprise. The demon was also predictable, as it ran forward and swung with its golden sword. He simply crouched and unloaded a four round burst at its abdomen and head. Since the Atlas gun had an explosive elemental converter, the bullets had the ability to explode on impact with the target, causing more damage than a "normal" bullet would. The demon fell way more easily than he thought it would.

But the pig demon wasn't his preoccupation. It was the tall one that ran away.

" _Why did it run away?_ "

(Plutonia Revisited – Wicked Garden)

He ran down the hallway he was sure the demon had passed too. He was now in a smaller room which had a giant well filled with skeletons. There were also four Lost Souls floating freely above it while several Corpses came out from behind a jail cell-like door on the opposite side of his position. He gunned them all down and reloaded.

Braylon's next challenge was a hallway with three jail cells at each side. He didn't understand why would a catacomb have cells and he never had time to ponder about it anyways, as there were more urgent matters; an Abomination at the end of the hallway and a horde of Corpses coming out of the cells.

The Abomination had to be killed, but the Corpses stood in front of his gun while he fired, allowing the stronger monster to advance forward. He had to retreat to the previous room so that he could escape from the swing of the monster's axe-like arm.

" _Crap! Out of ammo!_ " He jumped sideways, evading a strike that would otherwise be lethal. The monster's axe got stuck into the wall, allowing him to switch to the Striker shotgun. His first shot chopped of the axe from the body while the next blew up half of its skull. It died, falling into the well. As the path became free, he was able to follow the tall demon, killing any opposing force in his way, which mostly consisted of Corpses and Abominations.

A dead end, he thought as he ran down a hallway. It was the fourth in a row. Whoever build the catacomb, they must have had a serious passion about dungeons and labyrinths. When he reached the final room, which was the largest room in the whole place, he wondered where did the demon go. There was nowhere he could visibly hide. Ah, but there was a hole in the wall. It must have been its escape route.

The room's light came from four brass chandeliers, each in its respective corner. That, and several black candles in the center, placed around a sarcophagus made of stone, decorated with various motives unknown to him. When Braylon got closer, he saw that the each candle was at the tip of a red star surrounded in a circle of the same color.

When he was about to come even closer, five cyan-colored fireballs burst into existence above the sarcophagus, only to form into five Condemned. Four of them attacked him while the fifth went inside the sarcophagus. He rolled out of the way to dodge two of them, jumped sideways to dodge the third and the fourth got a hit as he stood up. The fire burned at the targeted spot, which was his right shoulder, making him cry in pain.

"Fuck..." he swore as he materialized the energy pistol and destroyed the four nuisances.

A loud crash made him turn around. The receptacle's lid was broken as a figure jumped out from its prison. It was a Returner. Unlike the others he sent back to Hell, this one was shaped to resemble a plump man in a tunic and trousers, sporting a pair of shafted shoes and a puch strapped to a belt. The man carried a round shield on his left arm and a Dane axe, a Viking's weapon of choice.***

Braylon and the Viking carefully circled around each other. Since Braylon thought that a ranged weapon would give him an advantage, he fired three shots with the pistol, all of which had been blocked by the shield.

"Okay... that's definitely new."

The Viking roared as he released a burst of aetherial energy from its body, sending Braylon flying across the room.

"That... is also new... ouch..."

Viking's surprise attack hurt, but not like the other times. Since the attack wasn't concentrated on one spot, it had a weaker knockback effect, allowing Braylon to be mostly unharmed. He jumped back on his legs and found out that the Returner had dissapeared from his sight. Suddenly, a cyan-colored cloud formed in front of him. The Viking immediately jumped out from it and attacked the surprised Vault Hunter, its ghostly axe passing through his body.

He felt as if something inside him was torn apart. Nothing in his body had been harmed in any way, as strange as it may seem. Nevertheless, the indescribable pain he felt had softened his legs, making him fall on his knees. Eyes wide and breathing slowed to a crawl, Braylon clutched his chest, trying to remove the pain.

" _It's insane... hurts so much..._ " Gritting his teeth, he looked upwards to stare into the hateful eyes of his attacker who was about to deal a finishing blow. The young Vault Hunter kicked one of the Viking's legs, temporarily loosing his balance. Braylon materialized the Holo Sabre and swung upwards but was met with the ghostly shield. He fired at the Returner's tibia, cracking the bone and making it kneel down. Now that they were on the same height, Braylon dropped the gun and raised his right hand towards the Viking's skull, seeminly uncaring of the effects that it would have on him. It was with the help of his astounding strenght and endurance that Braylon took the skull and slammed it down on the stone bricks, breaking it instantly. The Returner dissapeared in a cyanish blinding light, leaving behind the desecrated corpse.

He thought for a moment that the Condemned would come out, now in its original form. Instead, it was a blue sphere with the agonized face, just like the one he found in Hell. Smiling slightly, he punched the sphere and let its gaseous form to envelop his body. He was feeling as good as new.

"And now for the other one..."

Continuing his hunt for the tall demon, Braylon decided to go through the hole in the wall. It lead to a hastily dug tunnel which, when he jumped down, connected to a natural cave. There, behind a pig demon, stood the one he was looking for. He swapped the pistol for the Striker.

"Die!" The humanoid pig charged forward. Braylon's shotgun brutally tore off its left arm, making it fall to its knees and drop its sword. While the demon desperately held the wound-turned-blood-fountain, another rushed from behind him, to his right. Braylon raised the shotgun and fired again. It spun around and fell as the shot hit its right shoulder. A third one appeared to his left before he could use the shotgun, so he sliced off its legs and then its head after it fell. Turning back to the first demon, he decided to end its suffering by unloading the barrel into the head and making it go kablooey.

Only the tall one remained. He was ready for the attack that never came as the demon turned around and ran into a tunnel. Cursing himself for allowing its escape, Braylon quickly followed behind. He had no ammo left for the shotgun so he needed to change the Striker to his revolver and pistol.

At one point of the whole chase, the creature jumped and dissapeared below a small cliff. Braylon stopped right on the edge of the cliff, having no intention of falling down and injuring himself. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the ambiental brightness for him to notice that he was in a very large cave, quite possibly twice the size of a hangar. His jaw dropped at the sight of the cave's contents. It was a common cave by all means, that was for certain, but he was sure that mountains of corpses and walls covered with that strange red substance weren't a natural occurence. Especially when said substance acted like roots to a giant, fleshy construct shaped to resemble a monstrous mouth.

" _I see._ "

" _What are you talking about?_ "

" _That "mouth" is a Gore Nest.****_ "

" _And what does it do?_ "

" _Haven't you figured it out?_ " Just as it spoke, Braylon did notice a strange phenomenon. A glowing red circle flew above the mouth by several inches. He wasn't able to see it clearly, though he was sure that something flew out of it.

" _A rift?_ "

" _Hm, I guess that is one way to look at it._ _But I doubt you will have time to ponder about its significance._ "

It was right, for the cave's denizens were becoming aware of his presence, courtesy of the demon that escaped from his grasp. And what residents...

" _Oh... my..._ "

Countless demons stood below him, staring upwards at the mortal that dared to trespass on the private propriety. Humanoid pigs, Abominations, Possessed, Tainted, Reanimators and even several specimens similar to the tall one with the mouth for a face. One such specimen was larger than the others and had light brown crystals on its back, rather than the red ones, which were also larger.*****

" _There is no way I can banish so many demons at once..._ " His gaze returned to the Gore Nest, as the voice called it. " _...But who says I have to?_ "

The maddening cacophony of screams below became louder and louder as time went on. Braylon prepared himself for the demonic assault.

* * *

(Quake 2 – Stealth Frag)

Four Possessed Corpses managed to climb upwards towards him. After he shot all of them down, he jumped and landed on a fifth, smashing its head to the ground with his legs. Those remaining that surrounded him got dispatched with few precise strikes of his Holo Sabre.

One tall demon, whom he thought it was the same who escaped him, used its tentacles as flails. As much as he was able to dodge several attacks, there would always be a tentacle or two that would damage his Shield. There was no effective way to dodge them all. He waited for the right moment, that is when the demon whipped its tentacles again, jumped towards the nearest pile of bodies to gain the higher ground advantage, then jumped and striked down the demon with his Holo Sabre. The wound that went from its neck down to the pelvic region opened up, releasing the glowing intestines and blood. The creature fell backwards, choking, growling and moaning at the same time. Braylon was able to decipher a sentence among all that noise, directed at him albeit barely audible.

"This is just the begginning..."

Seeing that there was no time for thinking in the middle of a grotesque labyrinth filled with monsters ready to tear his face off, Braylon picked a random path, hoping to reach the Gore Nest.

Two Former Humans stood in his way. One young woman with a sickle and an old man with a wooden club. Both of them growled like dogs before lunging at the Vault Hunter. The woman slashed with her sickle vertically. Braylon jumped to the left and pointed the Unforgiven's barrel below her ear. He fired and then fired a shot with the pistol into the old man's knee. When he kneeled, Braylon pointed both guns at the man's head and pulled the trigger.

It was then when he heard the neighing of a horse, only severely distorted and high pitched. A dark brown skeletal creature that reminded Braylon of a horse, only it had a pair of horns and the spine ended in a long tail. Green mist came out of its hooves, mouth and eye sockets. ******

Braylon decided to run down another way, temporarily escaping from the creature's sight. A zombie-pig demon jumped out from a pile at the unsuspecting Vault Hunter, throwing him on the ground. He couldn't fire because he had to hold the golden sword that was inches away from his throat. After lifting the sword, if only slightly, he materialized Holo Sabre and cut off the demon's hands, thus staining his clothes in even more blood. He kicked the squealing monster away, picked the guns and resumed his running.

And there was the skeletal beast. Right down the road.

It cocked its head back, then quickly opened its mouth and spat a jet of green smoke at him. Unable to run the opposite way, as he was sure that the demons were reaching him, Braylon had to jump towards the peak of a corpse mountain. Reaching it, he was able to see the current situation.

He was completely surrounded.

There wasn't a place safe enough to land without being attacked en masse. He heard a deep, guttural growl to his right. He turned around and saw a flying demon that was physically similar to the one in the cemetery, only this one had one pair of arms, leathery brown hide, actual teeth and the black pupil was round rather then a slit. *******

" _Ugh, another one._ "

" _Indeed. And I suggest you banish him quickly._ "

" _Why is-_ "

The demon suddenly opened its mouth and a Lost Soul rocketed out. Thankfully he had quick reflexes, so he shot it to death. But just as he did, the demon was ready to summon a replacement.

"Oh no, you won't!"

Braylon took two steps back, then jumped at the demon, materializing Holo Ripper in mid-air and shoving it into the giant eye. As said eye burst open, he kept thrashing the holographic chainsaw until he was sure he made enough damage, then jumped on top of it and on another pile while the demon exploded behind him.

"Whoa!"

The rotten meat below him started trembling like a leaf. There was something buried below, he thought. All of a sudden, he found himself catapulted in the air as a loud, monstrous roar threatened to pierce his eardrums. His head was upside down while he flew, but he was able to see it anyways.

It was tall, not sure how much, amalgamation of several animal bodies that he was sure they weren't supposed to be like they were. There was the body of a cow molten together with the body of a pig, acting like the abdomen, and the head of a bull with flaming red eyes. The pig's legs were replaced with something that resembled like the legs of a mantis, only extremely sharp and blade-like. Tiny orange crystal formations were present all over it's body, scattered seemingly at random. ********

"Ho-lee fu-oof!"

His back crashed on something hard before he went tumbling downhill like a ball. There were no injuries, but he was seriously troubled by the sight of that beast. He doubted his pistols could do any harm to it. Bigger guns would certainly help. Too bad he was low on ammo.

" _I need to destroy that fucking Gore Nest before something else jumps out!_ "

A demon shambled out of the corner of his eyesight. It was the one with the brown crystals.

"Great."

The demon raised one of its legs and slammed it down, creating an earthquake wave directed at Braylon. He was to slow to dodge it, so he lost the balance and fell down. His brief staring into the ceiling was interrupted by a Tainted deer that brought its head dangerously close to his face. He deadpanned.

"Stop it."

He nonchalantly pointed the revolver at its nose and fired.

"Whew... okay, round two."

Braylon jumped back to his feet. The tall demon grabbed him and slammed his body into a pile of corpses, then tossed him on the other side.

"Alright! Now you pissed me off!"

It shot its tentacles towards him like a bunch of spears ready to impale their target. He ran towards them, slid under, activated the Holo Ripper and chopped them off. It retracted its tentacles back and raised its foot. Braylon roared as he increased his speed , reaching and grabbing the responsible leg before it could cause another earthquake. He cut it off and then stabbed both the Holo Ripper and his hand into its chest.

"Fuck! You!"

He ripped its heart out and crushed it. The brown crystals on its back suddenly exploded, engulfing the falling demon in fire of the same color.

He had a hunch that he was getting closer to his goal. It was true. Raising his eyes, he saw the cursed Gore Nest, spitting out more Former Humans and pig demons. He decided to run uphill, killing anyone who dared to oppose him. He was a few meters away from it when he felt something pulling him back by the shoulder. He turned around and, to his brief scare, found the skeletal creature from before. It released its grip and headbutted him. He fell down. It raised its front hoofs up in the air. Hadn't he rolled away, he would have been squished under that weight.

The Unforgiven's bullet went between its eyes but it still didn't do anything to stop its advance. He frowned as he quickly jumped to all fours and sprinted towards the Gore Nest.

" _See that yellow pouch? Pop it open and pull out it's contents._ "

Even if he couldn't see it, Braylon felt the skeletal monster's rage as it quickly approached him, obviously not liking the idea of a mortal being that close to something important. He reached the yellow pouch, as instructed, squeezed his right hand into a fist and tore it apart with a quick, yet strong, punch. His hand caught something squishy as it pulled out. It was suprisingly hard to pull off, but he did it, just as the reanimated skeleton was at arm's reach.

The very instant he ripped out the squishy object, which, to his disgust and horror, looked like a mutated heart, the Gore Nest let out an almost human-like roar of pain before exploding. The unleashed energy blast sent him flying downhill and annihilated the horselike skeleton as the devastation spread all over the cave, causing even an earthquake that threatened to bury everything in it.

Coughing, Braylon turned his head to the place where the Gore Nest had been. While it was true that the "body" had exploded, the red ring that flew above didn't. Quite the contrary, it expanded, replacing the light inside of it with inky blackness and massive bursts of dark red mist and lightning. The pile of bodies beneath it was slowly shrinking as the corpses were pulled into the black sphere of nothingness.

" _It's unstable!_ " Braylon stared wide-eyed as the demons were unable to resist its call, flying like ragdoll and sucked in by a vacuum cleaner. Even the amalgamation, which tried to find the intruder on its own, flew over his head and dived straight into the portal, mooing all the way.

" _Congratulations, mortal._ " The voice taunted. " _You forcefully opened a hole in reality itself._ "

" _Don't fuck with me! How was I supposed to know it would do that? Why didn't you tell me?_ "

" _And to ruin the fun? Besides, are you so blind that you are unable to recognize something unstable?_ "

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuu-!"

The young Vault Hunter raged against the entity that was supposedly helping him as he was quickly brought towards the unstoppable rift.

* * *

 **M1rzaTheBroJo: 1. Ammo is either gonna be created by him or it will be an ass-pulled deus ex machina in the form of "you ask, I pop a box of ammo at your feet". As for the energy pistol, in case you didn't figure it out, has unlimited ammo. There is a reason why I added its description back in that chapter when he got it...**

 **2\. If my calculations are correct, he should be able to encounter some of them in the ninth chapter. Though I won't promise anything.**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Pistols:** Unforgiven (first game), Energy pistol

 **Shotgun:** Striker (first game)

 **Assault rifle:** Ajax's Spear (explosive, reflex sight)

 **Shield:** The Bee

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #16:** Flesh Artist

 **Type:** Demon – Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Remember how I talked about some brothers of mine who are obsessed with_ _making weird constructs out of dead meat? Well, allow me to introduce you to the Flesh Artists. A little bit of background; before we decided to go into a war that was lost from the start, these individuals were the living emb_ _o_ _d_ _i_ _ments of art in its purest form. They knew how to sing, how to paint, how to build pretty things yadda yadda yadda... then that cursed day happened and some of these went into a mood swing, complaining how this war was, and I quote, "killing the inspiration". While some returned to normal, as if nothing ever happened (you can thank them for giving mortal races all forms of art they know and love, by the way) some started to see "patterns" in the war itself. Their art quickly turned grotesque and depraved, picturing slaughter and such. When they were casted down here, they... lost their sanity. So, as a form used to express their hatred for Anathema, they started making "art" from things they could find, which was usually fire and rocks. The more they created, the more insane they became. One day, one of the group proclaimed himself as a leader among them and gave them a new perspective: the flesh! Indeed, nowdays the flesh_ _became_ _their canvas... all they need to do is paint._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #17:** Zombie Pigman

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _What came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, swap the chicken and the egg for Pigman and Zombie Pigman and you kinda get the same result really. Mostly used for target practice or loyal slave-guards or whatever. I can't bring myself to care and neither should you. Oh, and if you happen to find a digested golden nugget, please return it its owner, which would be me, thank you._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #18:** Brynjar, Chosen of Odin

 **Type:** Returner - Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Brynjar was born in a small peaceful village Anathema-knows-where. At the tender age of sixteen (or was it less?) he decided to play vikings vs everyone else, a pretty popular game at that time. When he got older, he discovered a hobby that he would love for the rest of his days on that pitiful planet: war. Indeed, Brynjar was a "devil" on the battlefield, killing everyone who had the guts to challenge him. His people dubbed him "the chosen of Odin". Who is that, I have no idea. Probably a brother of mine with a passion for beards. Anyways, Brynjar died in the most stupid way possible. He thought it that him, along with two thousands of his men, would beat an army that not only surpassed ten thousands, but was also better equipped. Hey, mathematics is hard._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #19:** Gore Nest

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Being a very cheap way of transportation, the Gore Nests are a favorite choice among the wannabe leaders, as its only ingredients are a cart full of fresh corpses and our sorcery. These beings (yes, they are alive) have the astounding ability to open portals that connect this place with a selected reality, or realm if you wish. Of course, if you have even half of a brain in that skull you can easily point out its huge flaws. For straters,the Gore Nest must be stable and active if you want a functional portal._ _If you wish to bring out stronger entities, or even massive numbers, then the Nest must be bigger so that it could create a bigger portal. That in itself is a problem as even the common Nest requires a stable supply of fresh corpses, something that is hard to come by if you wish to be stealthy. Another problem is the fact that the Gore Nests are only capable of making a connection with this place and one selected reality. Anything above that will require more sophisticated methods of transportation._ "

* * *

 *******Entry #20:** Marmythael – Moulder of Flesh

 **Type:** Demon – Demonic Corruption - Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Sigh... I sometimes fail to understand my brothers. You see, the Flesh Artists never show up in a body of their own. Their strategy revolves around forming a body out of a dead mortal, add some twists, and then possess it. This is nothing like the Corpses possessed by Lost Souls. Flesh Artists are way smarter. Before they possess the body, they make sure to infuse it_ _with a mixture of various energies and sorceries in the form of a crystal, which then will grow naturally on the body. This not only gives them more power and better control, but it also allows them to use those same crystals to invent new abominations every day. And while most Flesh Artists use the basic, cheap recipe, the more advanced ones (or the sane-er_ _) take it a step further and try to experiment. They crystals you saw on the back of Marmythael were designed to give him the control of the earth around him. Naturally, since I suspect he never wrote the recipe down, he made them very unstable, which would explain why you weren't swarmed with earth-controlling monstrosities._ "

* * *

 ********Entry #21:** Virus, Prophet of the Plague

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Despite its appearance, Virus is a Tainted. I am sure that by now you realized that the Tainted are a byproduct randomly created when we act in the physical realms. A Tainted is never created intentionally... except for this one. Virus being a synthetic product created by Flesh Artists is my best guess. Hm, and here I was thinking they lost their touch._ "

* * *

 **Entry #22:** Pain Elemental

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _There is a rank among us that is named "Elemental". An elemental is a living embodiment of the element they, supposedly, represent. The Pain Elementals are one such type. Not only they desire inflicting pain on everything that isn't them, but they are drawn to it. It gives them power. Should one drop in the middle of a battlefield, they would become truly powerful, the best among their ranks._ _The Pain tribe is known for two things; one, their sorcery allows them to summon Lost Souls whenever needed. Two, if you ever happen to stumble upon one, make them a top priority, as they, like all Elementals, have the ability to influence nearby mortals with their elements. The more you stand near a Pain Elemental, the stronger the pain you will feel. Naturally, killing their bodies is almost as bad as letting them live._ "

* * *

 **********Entry #23:** Amalgamation

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _My mind can't even right now. Just... can someone tell me how that thing is even alive? And why it can move around when obviously shouldn't? It looked tough too. Note to self, if I ever find another one of these things, I better have something better than a couple of pea shooters._ "


	8. Stranger in a Strange(er) Land

Blackness.

The only thing he was able to see was... nothing. Nothing, but a veil of darkness that made his vision completely useless. But this was no black hole in the vastness that is space, this was merely a hole in space and time.

He was able to hear the commotion around him caused by the other guests and objects as well as his screams of either fury or fear, or both. The chaos that was unleashed around him wasn't harmless, as sometimes he would feel something hitting against him only to remove itself and fly off somewhere else. It was painless, but irritating.

Such unbearable torture went on for quite some time until Braylon felt like something was pulling him closer to something else, like an ocean current dragging a swimmer down to its death. That might sound strange to us, as we learned that Braylon was floating like an astronaut in space. However, we need to remind ourselves, again, that this was nothing like space, and that we aren't in his position. But he could feel it, because when he tried to resist, in the form of swimming or other, he was unable to do so.

And in an instant, everything turned blue. The black veil that blinded him vanished into thin air. We are mentioning air, because Braylon was actually able to feel a warm breeze gently caressing his skin. Confused, he tried to move his eyes, spotting nothing but clouds all around him, so close and yet so distant. A brief glance to his body made him notice a large black hole, like the one back in the cave, quickly shrinking in size above him. He wondered as to why was that happening.

Then his mind finally activated and warned him that he was falling.

And he couldn't to do anything to stop it.

He prepared himself for the eventual pain that he would strike his body should the impact be strong enough. To his surprise, his back fell on something soft enough to minimize the potential danger, but hard enough to hold his body from further falling. A sigh of relief escaped from his lips at the discovery of said object being a potted bush.

Apart from several leaves and tiny sticks sticking to his clothes as he moved away from the bush, there was nothing else to be anxious about. Maybe except for the fact that, as Braylon will soon realize, he was no longer in the previous reality, but a new one, and a strange one at that.

"Uh..."

(Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Puzzle Plank Galaxy)

Everywhere he looked, there would be objects made of wood. Wood, wood and again, wood. The whole scenery was rather strange for Braylon, as he wasn't used to such... exotic places. For beginners, there was no firm ground, just wooden platfroms floating in the blue nothingness that was both above and below him, an endless sky, if you will. Each platform-island had some unique sceneries. One was hiding behind clouds, a windmill being the only visible detail. Another one had a giant tree in the middle of a forest, other had a playground of sorts and the one closest to him had a fountain, which was connected with the one he was currently on thanks to a bridge. If we had to describe it in one sentence, it would definitely be a lumberjack's fantasyland.

He heard a muffled thump behind him. He turned around and saw a rotting corpse of a pig, laying in the same bushes as he did. One more corpse fell on the ground near him. Their origin was clear to him. They were raining down from that hole between realities.

Deciding it was better to move on instead of waiting for the probability of something squishing him, Braylon crossed the bridge and went to the other island. Right on the edge, after the fountain, stood a wooden slide that would probably take him to another place. Just to be sure, he reached the edge and looked down. Other than confirming his thoughts, he also noticed several black shapes moving, running and bumping into each other.

Braylon shrugged as he took a ride down the wooden construct, which was, if he had to admit it, way too fast for his liking. And that came out of a person who used to drive vehicles across the desert at high speeds.

The third island-platform was nothing much. It only had a statue (wooden of course!) depicting some being in a heroic pose. What acquired his attention were the two shapes, which turned out to be denizens not from this reality. How did he knew that? Well, one was a Boarbatusk, which he was absolutely sure that it shouldn't be present there while the other was an insect-like creature with eight legs, brownish slender body and four black beady eyes. * They were both locked in a power struggle, a feat made possible due to their size being almost equal. Braylon took the energy pistol and killed them both. The insect released a cloud of corrosive gas that melted the wood below.

" _How did that Grimm reach this place?_ "

" _How did you escape back then?_ "

" _You mean, it crossed a rift?_ "

" _Is it too absurd for you to believe?_ "

" _I guess not... but, wait. A rift? You mean a rift appeared somewhere in that reality?_ "

" _Hmph. If only..._ "

" _Explain... hello? Damn it! Can you at least give me some ammo?_ "

A black case appeared in front of him. It was filled with several packs of shotgun shells and three magazines for his assault rifle. He reloaded his guns, stashed the remaining ammo and brought out his Ajax's Spear.

He looked around. Where should he go next? There was nothing this time that would transport him elsewhere. He moved to the edge of the platform, searching for anything his feet could stand on. All of a sudden, a wooden block shot out of nowhere and placed itself firmly in front of him. He jumped slightly in surprise, thinking it might have hurt him, but after he placed one feet on the block, another block came out and attached itself to the first one.

" _It's a bridge!_ "

Frowning slightly, he stepped on the second block. Soon the seemingly random placements turned out to be a makeshift road that led him to a large platform-island that acted as a picturesque meadow with a yellow road leading to a farm in the distance.

But Braylon wasn't there to sightsee. He was no tourist. The objective was to find a way out of this wooden reality as soon as possible. There was no need to spend any minute longer than necessary, unless he wanted to turn insane.

Not even seconds after his feet touched the ground, he was swarmed with a small group of alien insects, like the one that fought with the Boarbatusk. Most never came close to him, as few shots of the assault rifle turned their bodies into chunks. One, however, reached his leg and bit down. It didn't hurt because of the Shield, but as he kicked the insect away he was surprised to notice that there was a small stain of acid further reducing the Shield's battery, just where the insect had bitten him. Therefore, it was safe to assume that the creatures were capable of releasing acid just like a snake releases its venom to a bitten animal. And judging by the damage caused from the pools released from the dead ones, it was a really powerful acid.

Killing the last insect of the group, Braylon followed the road towards the farm, careful of potential dangers lurking in the grass. He had to kill two more insects before he reached the small wooden fence that divided the propriety from the outside world. Curiously, there was no owner who would come out from any of the buildings to warn the trespasser. He walked some more and, hearing strange noises, went at the barn. There was a swarm of those xeno insects biting and scratching at some wooden bodies, presumably the owners.

Among the ones he already grew accustomed to, there was another type that, although physically different, seemed to be part of the swarm. They had lots of tiny black legs, almost like a millipede, that carried a greenish worm-like body. It had a scorpion-like tail and black beady eyes placed around a mouth that had tiny tentacles instead of teeth. ** One of them spat a greenish blob at Braylon the second they spotted him. Because of the bullet's slow speed, he was able to dodge it. The blob touched the wall of the barn and exploded, releasing a large stain that melted the wood with ease.

No matter how strong their carpace was, if they had any, Ajax's Spear proved to be more than enough for dealing with all of them, as the explosive bullets would enter their bodies and explode from inside. It was rather messy, but better that than coming up close, for Braylon feared that the acid could pose a serious threat to him.

After killing about dozen or so insects, the ones that he was able to see, a new swarm rose out from both the ground and the dark corners of the barn. Knowing that he underestimated them, Braylon quickly ran out of the barn while shooting at any insect that came close enough to him. He then turned around and ran for the house, hoping to be protected from the creatures that thoguht of him as food.

As he ran towards the house, he cought a glimpse of something purple to his right, just at the edge of his vision. He turned his head for a second. His eyes didn't betray him, it was something. It had two legs, a tail and a head that seemed like it grew out of the body, complete with a large mouth and a pair of glowing yellow eyes. He thought he was looking at some dinosaur.***

Whatever the creature was, it began running at his direction with rather surprising speed. Braylon thought it wanted him, but when it got close enough, he noticed that the animal was attacking the insects, tackling one of them and killing the other with a bite. He reached the door and, before entering, glanced at the swarm. It was occupied with the animal, who seemed to have no problems being bitten by the attackers. Rather, it took out many individuals before finally succumbing to its wounds.

Closing the door behind himself, the Vault Hunter piled several other things at the door to prevent it from opening. He then mentally facepalmed when one of those purple animals jumped through the window and inside. Doubting that the rifle could do anything, he switched to Striker and fired a shot right into the creature's head. While the pelletes pierced the skin, thus covering its face in blood and making it look more demented than it already was, it performed rather poorly when it came to killing it. Actually, it only became more angry as it charged at Braylon, destroying everything that stood in its way. Braylon jumped to the left as the animal dived head first into the pile that blocked the door. He ran upstairs, distancing himself from the animal. The stairs were too small for its large legs, so his safety was guaranteed.

He chuckled as the creature roared in frustration. The next moment, both of them could hear thousands of legs tapping on the floor. Braylon ran towards the nearest room and closed the door.

" _I'm trapped. I'm fucking trapped!_ " He sighed. " _Okay... okay. Calm down, Braylon. There has to be some way..._ "

He decided to take a look through the window. His eyes spotted several insects coming towards the house. But other than that, there was nothing else noteworthy. That is, until he saw something falling from the sky and smashing against the ground, outside the farm. The impact was so loud and powerful that it shook the whole platform. Every sound died at that very moment. Not even the insect's skittering. It seemed like everything was focused on the thing that crashed on the platfor-island. But what could it be?

Braylon looked once more and, cursing, saw the thing slowly rising up. It was nothing else than the demonic Amalgamation from the cave, now way too close for him to feel safe. It even snapped its head towards the house and roared loudly, charging towards the farm as fast as its legs could carry it. He also saw the insects, minus the animal, skitter out of the house and towards the incoming source of the noise. What motivated him from running out of the room and jumping through a window on the opposite wall was the Amalgamtion itself, as it stomped on the fence and went straight into the barn, only to come out of it seconds later, shattering the wooden building into hundreds of flying pieces.

He wasn't willing to learn how it did that. That is why he kept running as soon as he was able to get up. Despite knowing that there was no way out of that mess, he was still willing to put his bet in the attempt. Before he jumped over the fence, the house behind him was completely demolished, as if a wrecking ball had passed through.

" _Crap! Crap! Crap!_ "

Stopping abruptly as he reached the edge of the platform, Braylon glanced down into the depths. There was a faint light not far below. He knew that he had no choice and would probably end up dead anyway, so he jumped into the nothingness below, reaching the white glow with increasing speeds.

* * *

Braylon's screaming stopped abruptly once he came out of the rift and crash-landed into an armor stand. He cringed slightly as the armor detached itself from the stand and fell on his back. Muttering and grumbling, the young Vault Hunter hastily stood back up and dusted himself, then decided to take a moment to get a hold of his current situation.

"Alrighty." He whispered, looking at the armor that fell on the ground, then to the slowly vanishing rift. "Looks like I'm in some kind of armory."

The armory had a torch as a source of light, barely able to illuminate every inch of the armory. Still, Braylon could see the room's contents as well as interact with them. Weapons, mostly swords and axes, were alined on the walls like some trophies. The shields of various shapes and sizes would sit below said weapons, each depicting some heraldic symbols unknown to him. He allowed himself to open several wooden chests and lockers, revealing a small arsenal of flintlock-based weapons, ranging from muskets to pistols. Finding no use for those, he went out of the armory through a wooden door.

The hallway was rather confusing for him to understand. It had a red carpet that barely covered the whole floor, stretching as far as he was able to see, which were the corners not far from him. There were also several crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, each having more than twenty lit candles, some portraits of people his PDA had no data on and large windows on the opposite wall, supposedly for enjoying the view. What kind of view could be enjoyed was questionable to him, as he was able to see nothing but darkness. When he got closer, he noticed that there was a moon in the sky. This time, it wasn't shattered, but blood red.

" _There is another rift in this place. Try reaching the highest point._ "

Materializing his energy pistol, Braylon walked at a steady pace, careful to not get ambushed by anyone or anything. He arrived to a wooden door and was about to open it when he heard moans coming from inside the room.

"Okay..." He winced slightly as he quietly moved away, leaving whoever was in there to their privacy. Everything went as smooth as silk until he encountered... a rather peculiar thing.

The horns, wings and tail were a clear sign that it was a demon. However, what he didn't expect was its physical appearance; that of a, we dare to say, quite gifted woman, with emerald green eyes and long black hair. The provocative outfit would only worsen the situation if it weren't for the fact that Braylon had his hormones under control, courtesy of the PDA. ****

" _Oh... my..._ "

They spotted each other simultaneously. And while his was a quite rational reaction, the monster's reaction... wasn't. It smiled, posing in such a way to display all of her "talents". Minutes later it paused, puzzled by the human's unresponsiveness and deadpanned expression.

" _Is... is she trying to woo me?_ "

" _Calling_ _that thing a_ _"she" is an insult_ _to everyone ever_ _. The charm doesn 't work on you, so kill it and go on._ "

Its personality took a drastic turn. From the irresistible temptress, it turned into a beast ready to snarl at Braylon's every move. Quickly realizing its mistake, it once again turned docile, ready to seduce him.

"Sorry, I'm immune." He said nonchalantly as he fired two shots at the surprised Succubus, killing it instantly.

" _Be careful now, as that specimen alerted everyone of your presence._ "

Braylon frowned as he reached the upper floor by taking the stairs to the left. This hallway was smaller than the one before, but it had two doors and a corner that led somewhere to the right. Shrugging, he opened the first door, the one on the left. It was empty. He turned around and opened the one on the right. All of a sudden a hand grabbed him and pulled him inside, throwing him on the floor.

" _Really now? You were caught with your guard down?_ "

Braylon could hear the voice facepalming. He tried to get up but something pushed him back down. He could see a tail wagging at the peripheral vision.

"So..." He heard a woman speak up. "It seems that the traitor's lapdog finally decided to pay us a visit." It was, quite possibly, the most sensual voice he ever heard from the opposite sex. But he knew it was an illusion, all of it. That is why he growled loudly enough for it to hear.

There were two of them, he thought after he heard them giggling. One placed two fingers under his chin, lifting his head up.

"Aw, killing you is such a shame, though. I would gladly hear you scream in bed." It winked, earning a snarl from Braylon.

" _Mortal, I am giving you ten seconds to kill these two and get out of that room._ "

Hearing the threat, Braylon lifted a fist and punched the talking one in the face. He then kicked the second one away with his legs and stood up. Picking the gun, he killed the one that held him down and kicked it with his leg, sending it flying through the door and into the hallway. When he got out, he fired three five more shots at the remaining one before going forward.

It took some time for him to find the next stairway, but when he found them, he was able to reach the balcony of what he discovered the building to be a royal castle. With a healthy dose of parkour, the young Vault Hunter went on the very roof of the building. Even in the darkness that enveloped the place, he was able to spot a figure not far away from him.

"Stay away from me!" It warned. "Just... stay away!"

"Calm down! I am not a monster!"

That seemed to calm the figure as it lowered whatever weapon it had. Braylon took a few steps closer and found out that the figure in question was a king, judging by the golden crown. Although unable to precisely determine his physical features, he was more than capable to notice the weapon he held in his right hand. It was a double-barreled shotgun with its barrels painted in white and yellow stripes.

"T-they came out of the blue!" The king blurted out. "My lands were peaceful! Peaceful! Then... they suddenly came... those... monsters, down there! They took my wife and daughter and... turned them into one of them! I lost everything!"

Braylon sighed. " _I don't have time for this._ " He raised his pistol and shot the king to death. Before the corpse fell from the roof, he reached it and took the shotgun from its grasp.

" _..._ _Well, that was surprisingly convenient_ _._ "

" _Please shut up._ "

Ignoring the already weak conscience, Braylon went for the tallest tower out of the three existing ones. Rather than climbing his way to the top, he materialized Ajax's Spear and fired at the tower, making a small hole for him to use.

" _I seriously hope this place has another rift._ "

Much to his joy, there was one. It was glowing with the same brightness as the one that appeared in Hell. Of course, he had no idea where it would lead. Maybe it would take him to a dangerous place, or maybe to a strange land just like the last one. There was only one way to know.

Muttering a silent prayer to God, he closed his eyes as he sprinted towards the rift.

"Geronimo!"

* * *

 **So it turns out that there is a name to the color I was looking for. It is not a shade of cyan, like I thought it was, but a shade of green called, de facto, ethereal green. In any case, if I write in the future chapters cyan instead of green, then know that I meant the ethereal green. Here they will mean the same thing, unless I specify otherwise.**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **\- Newest addition: Orphan Maker (without curse, as this one doesn't belong to Captain Blade)**

 **Pistol:** Unforgiven, Energy pistol

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #24:** Sturg - Swarmer

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Insect

 **Faction:** none

 **Description:** " _There is no way that these guys were the natives to that place._ _They looked so... standoffish. Not to mention their size, agressiveness towards other species and signs of intelligence. No insect should be that big. Either the hellhole they came out is a prehistorical cradle... or something very nasty happened. And I bet my soul that it is probably the latter._ " (Resistance to Corrosive damage)

* * *

 ****Entry #25:** Sturg – Mireborn

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Insect

 **Faction:** none

 **Description:** " _On Pandora, the most known animal is Skag. Now, Skags are very unique in fact that their biology gave them the ability to create several subspecies. Some spit globs of venom at their prey, others are faster, things like that. I suspect that this creatures are very similar to Skags, seeing that this individuals were perfectly fine being in group with the others. Though, I fail to understand how can such deviation even begin to exist without forming a new race of animals. Such things are not normal and we are talking about Mother Nature here._ " (Resistance to Corrosive damage)

* * *

 *****Entry #26:** Barlowian Saur-Beast

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Beast

 **Faction:** none

 **Description:** " _What amazes me about this creature is its illogical behavior. I saw those teeth, it was clearly meant to be a herbivore, yet it seems like it would gladly devour another nimal. Just... why? There is clearly no reason behind it. Argh! Fuck all of this! What, what else are you gonna throw me, universe?!_ "

* * *

 ******Entry #27:** Succubus

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Talking about going out with a bang. It is safe to say that the birth of the Succubi wasn't our most magnificent moment, I will admit. Forget it now. Puny mortal, I have the (dis)pleasure to present; the first organic robots! How do you make one? Easy. You take one human female with more hormones than brains, corrupt her mind and turn it into mush, give her some power and make her learn sorcery... and there you have it. A completely self-aware biological robot programmed to suck out the fluid, as well as aetherial energy, that gives birth to new mortals. For what purposes? I have no idea. Go ask the science-passionate brothers... or the Flesh Artists._ "


	9. When Life Gives You Lemons

In one of the dark alleyways of a big city, everything can and does happen. You may encounter bandits willing to slit your throat for money, men and women willing to sell their bodies, homeless and jobless individuals, ruined childhood memories... the natural. But in one of these alleyways, populated by nothing more than large dumpsters, a rift floating in the air threw something out and straight into one of those dumpsters. One of its inhabitants, a cat, hissed and jumped out of dumpster, running into the darkness.

"I hate my life."

Braylon sighed as he jumped out of the trash pile. Although the smell didn't cling to his clothes, they still looked like they had passed through a battlefield. Torn and filled with blood stains.

"Well, it could have been worse, I suppose."

Something crashed into the dumpster behind him as the light of the rift slowly faded away. He turned around to check what else had the rift dropped into that reality. It was something metallic and shaped like a box. At least, that was what his eyes could see. He picked it up to examine it further.

"Oh great. Just what I needed." He groaned as he threw the object on the ground. "A damn Claptrap unit. But how did it get here?"

" _Must be the unstable rift that spat you out._ "

" _I didn't see any Claptraps in that place._ "

" _You didn't need to. It appears that the same rift was connected to more than two realities._ "

" _It's already that unstable?_ "

" _Why don't you ask other realities?_ "

He frowned. " _I am not surprised. I mean, I knew it would happen... but not so soon._ _How am I gonna stop this threat completely if the situation is already that bad?_ "

The voice laughed. " _You don't really think you will be able to stop it, do you?_ "

" _But I must! I have nothing against other realities! They don't deserve something like this._ "

" _And say, what can a mortal, whose nature has fallen, ever do against an army of beings far above him? Do you even realize in what situation you are currently in, realize how much of a farce your whole exsistence is?_ _Your whole lives revolve around being eternal slaves to systems, careers,_ _nagging significant others,_ _yourselves._ _What, this "conservation of mass", th_ _ese_ _principles and laws and theories? Those are just layers upon layers of shackles meant to stop mortals from destroying everything they touch._ _The only thing you can hold yourselves on, outside Anathema´s words, are your own brains, which ironically are limitied themselves. Taking "your" bodies from you, deceiving your senses, moulding your brains, corrupting your thoughts... we turned it into a form of art. And we are enjoying every last bit of it. Even as you waste precious time, my brothers are marching upon other worlds, turning them into lifeless wastelands or consuming them completely, all because you opened that Vault. Do you really want to go against that?_ "

" _..._ "

" _I thought so. This is why you must do everything I say. How you do it is no concern of mine, just that you do it. Be a good dog, listen to your master, and you may get a biscuit._ "

Braylon growled in protest before sighing in defeat. After giving himself some time to think what he should do next, Braylon decided he would activate the Claptrap unit. If it was still possible.

Claptraps are tiny robots created by the founder of Hyperion corporation's artificial intelligence branch called Lawrence de Quidt. Also known as steward bots, these machines had the purpose to act as assistants in many jobs that would otherwise rquire a human hand. Unfortunately, Claptrap units have flawed personality chips, which in turn drastically reduces their usefulness. Being demoted to door openers, Claptraps became the best entertainment for citizens of Pandora. They were shot, subjugated and humiliated until one of them stood above all and started a robotic revolution (or robolution) that threatened to turn everything into copies of Claptraps. Some years later, the corporation mother decided to shut them all down, effectively removing Claptraps from exsistence.

But the one that he found seemed far from old or worn out like the rest of its bretheren in scrapyards. The white stripe and the cyan paintjob on the frame were almost intact, with few tiny scratches in places no person bothered to look. Even the optical device was as good as new. No dents, no wild cables sticking out, some rusted gears. It was very well preserved.

The first thing Braylon did was knocking on the Claptrap' frame. As there was no response, he turned it around and opened the grid located on its back. He repaired whatever damage he found, tossed some random junk he found in other dumpsters, closed the grid and waited. Its first response, after being alive for so long, was to tremble as if it had a robotic version of a seizure. Braylon groaned and decided to fix the problem with a well-placed kick. It jumped on its wheel, shook some more and pointed its sensor at the human.

"Thank you for purchasing your very own CL4P-TP made by Hyperion corporation. Any attempt to socialize and interact with CL4P-TP other than the ones listed in the instruction manual may result in unpredictable response from the CL4P-TP. Hyperion corporation is not liable for any damage, destruction or loss of private porpriety, or for any physical, or mental, damage dealt to the owner, including, but not limited to, nervous breakdown, uncontrollable anger and death, as a result of the unit's functions. By activating this CL4P-TP unit, you accept the terms and conditions described in this announcement given by the Hyperion corporation, and agree to hold Hyperion corporation, as well as its associates, blameless from any loss or liability caused by the CL4P-TP. Hyperion corporation reserves all rights, including intellectual propriety rights, patents, trademarks and other intellectual propriety used to create the CL4P-TP."

Braylon groaned and facepalmed. All that corporative talk gave him a headache. In a fit of rage, he accidentally kicked the robot in front of him.

"Ow! ****! Who the **** did that?!"

He blinked twice as he lovered his leg. The optical sensor's lights turned from green to red.

"I swear! Every. ****ing. Time. I try to be nice to a ****ing fleshbag but no! They need to act like a dumbass and..." It trailed off, staring at Braylon. "Who the **** are you?"

"The guy who woke you up from your slumber."

"So... what? You want me to kiss your ass? To bow down to my almighty lord and savior?" Claptrap scratched his robotic butt. "Because it's sure as hell I ain't gonna do that."

" _Why did I ever decide to revive this piece of junk?_ Suit yourself, I got stuff to do. See ya."

"Hey! Wait!" Claptrap rolled behind Braylon, who turned around and walked away. "You're leaving me here? In the middle of nowhere?"

"Hm... _That reminds me, where exactly am I?_ "

The Vault Hunter's head peeked out from the shadows. It appeared to be a city of some kind, with buildings that came out from the 1800s. Nevermind the architecture, Braylon was more focused on observing some of the cleanest streets he ever saw in his life. Settlements on Pandora could only wish for something like that.

Right, Pandora. He mentally berated himself for remembering that planet. It brought too much pain and suffering on everyone, not just him. Still, it used to be his home, the only one he ever knew. As much as it was a backwater and lawless place, there were also times of peace. Peace that would always be trampled by the next wave of bandits and corporations. An endless cycle of bloodshed, where peace was to the population what half-time is to team sports.

He heard the Claptrap's humming and looked down. "What are you doing here?"

"Gee, I dunno. What could I possibly do in bum**** place other than to follow the only fleshbag who fixed me?"

"I thought you didn't like my company."

"Zip it, wonderboy."

Shaking his head, Braylon stepped out of the alleyway, with the Claptrap unit following close by. After a brief argument, both of them settled for a random street to follow. Ignoring the looks of every citizen present, some of which were ranging from "voiceless horror" to "weirdoes these days", they stopped in front of a boutique as Claptrap tapped Braylon on his hand.

"What?"

"Man, you look like ****."

"Oh..." Braylon moved his eyes down. "Yeah... so?"

"W-wha... what do you mean, "so"?! I can't go around with someone who looks like they've been on snuff movie! I mean, not that I give a ****, but I thought we were incognito or something."

Braylon facepalmed. He was doing a lot of that lately.

"Alright, wait here, I'll-"

"Do I look like Lassie to you?" Claptrap pushed Braylon away and went for the door of the boutique. "Move, pleb. I'm going in, whether you like it or not."

Braylon raised his head to the sky. " _Do you see this, God? What did I ever do wrong to deserve such a fate?_ "

" _Let's see..._ " The voice started. " _Blew up a planet, killed enough people to rival the population of the galaxy's smallest countries, destroyed a whole solar system by turning its star into a massive black hole just to kill a cosmic beast that you woke up, orbital striked a megalopolis, freed a virus into the atmosphere rather than containing it, effectively mutating every single being on the planet..._ "

" _Okay, okay. Got the message, no thanks to you._ " Braylon slouched and frowned. " _And most of those were done on accident._ "

* * *

The first thing our Vault Hunter heard when he entered was a tiny bell placed above the door, immediately followed with the generic music typical for such places. To his right was the cashier, a woman with short orange hair, green eyes and a smile that could warm the coldest of hearts. If you must ask, no. It had no effect on him.

She was clearly surprised by his appearance but decided to hide it behind a smiling porcelain mask. "Welcome to the Golden Carriage, the finest boutiques in all of Vale! What can I do for you, sir?"

Braylon raised an eyebrow. " _Vale? So, we're back in-_ "

Claptrap jumped on top of the counter.

"Why, hello there you beautiful thing of nature. Say, if I were a tank, would you like to check my cannon?"

Braylon cringed. Seeing the cashier's face was definitely something that he wouldn't forget soon.

"Right. I'll go to check out some clothes for me or... whatever."

"Yeah, you do that."

Sighing, he ventured into the wild jungle made with so many vibrant colors that his eyes hurt. He wasn't the type of person who was crazy about such things. For him, clothes were simply something that had to be effective as well as comfortable, not some decorations. When asked why he had such a view, one of his replies would be "I am not a Christmas tree".

Five minutes later, Braylon found something that met his standards; blue camo pants with pockets for storing stuff, black shoes, two more belts with holsters and small pockets, a simple white shirt and a light brown longcoat-duster. Freedom of movement, easy-to-access to ammo and smaller guns, protection from rain and dust. It was perfect.

He heard Claptrap rolling away from the counter when the door was slammed open. The cashier yelped as a man threatened her. Wishing to know what all that yelling was about, Braylon decided to drop his clothes to the nearest mirror and walked towards the counter. He found there three men in black business suits and red glasses. Two of them had some red swords while the third, the one occupied with the cashier, had a gun. All three of them spotted him quickly, mostly because Braylon didn't even bother to sneak up on them.

"Hey, who is that?"

"I dunno."

"Look at his clothes. What the heck happened to him?"

"Hey, morons!" The guy with the gun shouted. "Don't stand there! Get him!"

"Sure, I'll do it." One man with the blade came to Braylon.

One look was all Braylon needed to realize who he was dealing with. Bandits. Either them or a bunch of wannabe Tony Montana, he thought. Just seeing bandits made his blood boil. Back at Pandora, one of the main causes of death, beside "eaten by Skag", was "shot by bandit". Even today, Pandora has brutal conditions that allows such scourge to spread with the efficiency of a wildfire. No matter how many anti-bandit groups rise or how much the Vault Hunters work, there would always be a group of survivors that would rise from the ashes of the previous tribes and gangs, forming another that would take its place, only for the process to start all over again. Needless to say, many families suffered because of that and Braylon's was no exception. So instead of panicking like everyone else would, he decided to take a different approach.

"Hey, kid." The man walked dramatically. "Be good and raise your hands where I can see them."

Braylon, calmly, picked his ear with a pinky finger. "Sure, sure."

Such nonchalant response made him angrier, backhanding Braylon to the floor. Fueled by the giggling of his companions, he turned around.

"Wow, man. I am speechless."

"Yes! You are so full of swag!"

"Shut up you two!"

Braylon got up and raised his hands, the smug grin never leaving his face.

"You two, down there!" He raised his voice enough for them to hear. "Yes, you two. You should really walk out of that door, otherwise this guy might not be able to get a nickel for his mother."

"Why you-"

Before the bandit could swing with his weapon, Braylon materialized the Holo Sabre and brought it down on the man's midsection in the form of a horizontal swipe. Everyone went quiet, unable to decipher what just happened. The bandit looked down, then back at Braylon, laughing. Seconds later, blood erupted from the volcano that was the wound, painting him completely in red. Loud pops and squishing noises could be heard as the upper body slowly fell backwards like a tree that was about to drop to the ground. With a loud thud, the bandit's corpse split in two as blood and viscera were spilled all over the place.

"Tsk. Looks like he is only half the man he claimed to be."

The cashier screamed and fainted immediately. Moments later, a six-round burst killed the one with the gun, catching the last bandit's attention towards something on Braylon's right.

"Wha-" Was all the man could say before he exploded into pieces. Claptrap came out from behind some clothing racks, a gun digistructing in his robotic hands.

"Ha! Take that fleshbags who say that Tediore weapons suck!"

Braylon stared, dumbfounded. "You had a gun?"

"Of course!" Chirped Claptrap as he opened his "mouth" and stashed the weapon somewhere in his body. "You thought I was going around unarmed?"

"No... I just... forget it." He waved with one hand.

"Woah! You cut that guy in half?! Awesome!"

"But now I am completely covered in blood."

"Bah, who cares?! Find some rags in here and clean yourself. This ****hole sure has plenty."

Braylon grabbed a few shirts and rubbed the blood off his body, then took the new clothes.

"Weren't you the one trying to woo the cashier?"

"Who? Moi? ***** please, even a dildo is too precious to waste on someone like her."

"Then what was the point?"

"I would keep the bitch occupied while you steal the **** and rush out like a mother****er."

"...you think I'm a bandit, don't you?"

"Oh nooooo, that's no-"

"Done. Now let's get outta here. I'm kinda hungry."

"Saw a fatman selling meat in a shop down the road. Wanna take a shot?"

"Sure, why not."

* * *

"When I get my hands on you I swear...!"

Claptrap waited for a moment before lowering the newspaper he used to cover himself.

"...he didn't notice us."

Braylon peeked out from the alleyway. "You sure?"

"Yes." The robot rolled his way towards Braylon, who sat behind a dumpster and dug his teeth into a piece of ham. "He was way too fast for someone his size." The only sounds that came out of the Vault Hunter were slurps, gnashing of teeth and gulping chunks of meat. "You ****ing pig."

"Mm-you... mmm... whould... be hungry..."

"Don't bother. I might get sick." Claptrap sighed as he took out a red oil can. "Lucky me, I'm a robot. And no. This is no lube. Stop looking at me funny." The duo enjoyed a brief moment of relaxation before venturing out into the city.

"So..." Claptrap started. "Where exactly are we?"

"Planet called Remnant."

"Huh... weird. My database has no information about it."

"Er... that's because... it's a backwater cesspool of the galaxy."

"I can see that." Claptrap moved left and right. "Still better than Pandora."

"If you say so."

"What we do next? Rob a bank?"

"No... no... I have no idea, actually."

"So let me get this straight. We are here, stuck, on a "hostile" planet..."

Braylon mentally shut out and distanced himself from the robot's tirade. He was trying to contact the voice, the entity that carved that symbol on his hand, to know about the next course of action. The entity, however, was faster.

" _Change of plans._ "

The Vault Hunter stopped walking. Ignoring the robot who bumped into him, Braylon replied to the sudden change.

" _Change of plans?_ "

" _Yes. You are unable to stop the invasion completely. But you can prevent further damage._ "

" _How?_ "

" _By salting the earth._ "

" _I don't follow._ "

" _Not all realities are equally interesting to my brothers. Some contain things that are more appealing to them, because it can help them spreading more chaos._ _This reality is one of those points of interest, mainly because it holds something that, if used, could destroy planets. As much as I would enjoy seeing whole empires crumble, with countless mortals dropping dead, it would go against my end goals. Truly, Anathema gave certain gifts to those realities where mortals are more than capable, and willing, to repel any of our attempts to annihilate them. Where the purehearts are born._ "

" _And?_ "

" _I doubt that you will ever be able to use them. Not that you have to. If I can't use them, then no one will._ "

" _In other words, you want this whatever, to be destroyed._ "

" _Correct._ "

" _And what is this thing that needs to be removed?_ "

" _This reality contains a truly unique set of powers. While mortals, unable to comprehend them properly, started making up stories about certain individuals and gods and whatnot, the true story is well hidden from everyone._ "

"Hey, you even listening to me, fleshbag?"

"Wait."

" _Long ago, there was a mortal who knew of Anathema and followed his will. It was thanks to him that humanity managed to survive in this reality. In order to express his gratitude, Anathema gave the mortal a blessing. That blessing allowed the mortal to succeed in everything he did, from curing the sick to farming the lands. Several generations later, everything went downhill, as one of the_ _mortal's successors was personally tasked to find the core threat of the Grimm and cleanse the reality from our parasitic influence. This mortal, a coward at heart, rather than go and do it alone, despite Anathema constantly telling him that he would prevail, used others of his kind to do the dirty work for him. Every team he sent failed the task and was killed._ "

"What do we need to wait for?"

"Shut up."

" _Not only that, but this mortal started dabbling into sorcery, something that belongs in our field, eventually using magic instead of Anathema's gift. As a punishment, Anathema removed the blessing and made the mortal unable to reach the afterlife until he completed the task given to him, so that he would be able to see the consequences of his actions. Soon all the knowledge on Anathema was lost to this world and humans fell into the pitiful state_ _in which_ _they are now,_ _something similar to your reality but on a lower scale._ "

"Can we go?"

"I said shut up."

" _Years passed and the mortal in question became depressed because of his past mistakes. One day, four mortal females came to him and warmed his heart through pointless actions. He knew that he couldn't change the past, but his actions could make the future better, so he gave them the sorcerous power to control the seasons._ "

"What?!" Braylon blurted out, scaring Claptrap.

" _Indeed, such is the stupidity of mortals. That power passed on from generation to generation. Some used it for "good", others for evil. No matter their choices, it is still evil, since its roots came from us, but that is a story for another time. Make no mistake, no mortal is good. Not even one. If you were, then there would be no need for commandments, right?_ " The voice laughed. " _In any case, now the sources of those powers are sealed somewhere on this planet. I have trouble sensing them_ _all_ _, as whoever has them probably took some measures_ _to defend them_ _. Your task is to find them and destroy them, one by one._ "

" _If you don't know where they are, then how am I supposed to find them?_ "

" _I said I had trouble sensing them all. I am still able to feel the presence of one source._ "

" _You mean to tell me that there is one here? In this city?_ "

" _Yes. One is definitely here. And I know exactly where._ "

" _Then tell me._ "

" _Find a map first._ "

Braylon and Claptrap walked towards a small bus station down the road, which had the map of the whole city displayed on the screen. It was divided in several sectors, each outlined and named. One sector caught his attention.

" _There it is._ "

" _...Beacon Academy?_ "

" _Yes. I can feel its power radiating from there._ "

" _How the hell am I going to get inside?_ "

" _You still didn't figure it out?_ "

Braylon frowned, then widened his eyes as he stepped back.

" _Aw hell no._ "

" _Yes._ "

" _No!_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _No way! I am not going to enrol in that fucking place! There is no way I am going to be a fucking student!_ "

" _What choice do you have?_ "

" _But I have no idea what is that academy for!_ "

" _You have a tongue, Use it._ "

"**** this. If you don't tell me what you have in mind I swear-"

"Claptrap."

"Yes?"

"First, promise me you won't throw a tantrum. Otherwise in scrapyard you go."

* * *

"I can't believe this. I seriously can't ****ing believe this."

"You better do. You've been rambling about it for hours."

Night came, and with it, a whole plethora of events that would shape Braylon's future. Apart from Claptrap's incessant complaining, Braylon was able to acquire some information regarding the academy. In Braylon's words, it was nothing but a glorified Huntsman recruitment center, where the children would waste few years of their life doing and learning absolutely nothing only to get killed the moment they set foot out of Vale. But who would enrol in that academy? The blissfully ignorant of what's outside those walls or the optimists who think they could do something to change the world, only to end up like the rest of them. In short, a waste of everyone's time.

"Why am I even following you?"

"Maybe because I am the only person on the planet capable of fixing you should you need it?"

"...Meh, I can accept that."

The duo stood on a sidewalk, unsure of what to do next.

"Fleshbag, look." Claptrap pointed at a store.

"From Dust Till Dawn? What's that?"

Claptrap rolled forward. "Well, aside from being a blatant reference to a movie, methinks it must be a shop."

"Haven't you had enough of shopping?" Braylon complained. "We visited, like, twenty shops already!"

"Come on, fleshbag. Obey your master and follow me."

"One is more than enough thank you." He grumbled under his breath as they entered the building.

"Welcome, welcome." The old man behind the counter said. "What can I do for you, young man?"

"Just checking out what you have in here."

"Suit yourself."

Braylon nodded and the duo split apart, each going for the opposite side. He had to be honest to himself, he couldn't care less for what the store was selling. Partly because he was tired and partly because he was annoyed by Claptrap's rambling. The idea was to take the robot with him, so that he could always have an eye on it. There was no need to make even more problems. However, he did get curious as to why there were tubes filled with powder, each with different colors. But in the end, he got over his curiosity and moved further.

He felt someone bump into him. Turning around, he saw that the offender was a short girl in a black dress, completely unaware that he was close to her. Muttering a quiet apology, he moved away from her and grabbed a magazine that depicted various guns.

"Did you see the new sniper rifle on the fifth page?" Blinking, he turned his head to the girl, who looked back at him with a smile under her red hood. " _T-those eyes..._ "

"Uh..." Braylon tried to form an intelligent answer. "...no, I'm afraid I didn't."

"You totally should. It has a lightweight magazine that makes it easier to reload during a fight since it fires three bullets per shot which quickly eats up all ammunition and..." She suddenly cringed. "Sorry... I'll just... yeah..." She slowly returned to her magazine.

" _Wow, that was something._ "

As the girl put her headphones back on, Braylon heard the door opening and a conversation between the old man and another voice.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?"

"P-please! Just take my Lien and leave!"

"Shh, relax. We are not here for the money."

And then Claptrap was heard out of nowhere.

"Whoa! You guys are the ones from earlier! Hey, fleshbag, come check it out!"

Braylon reached Claptrap, who pointed at the group of people who were dressed like the ones from the boutique. Except this time, there was a man with a bowler hat and white suit. One of the men in black suits went somewhere out of their sight.

"Look, there are the bandits and then there is the living rip-off from A Clockwork Orange. I say we kill them all."

The mooks looked at each other while the man in white sighed.

"Say, you must be one of those "Huntsmen", correct?"

"No. I am the guy who's about to kick your ass."

"Right." The man sighed again. "Weirdoes these days... alright, listen up. Take care of the kid and grab everything you can. I'll wait outside." And with that, he got out. Not even seconds later, the mook from before flew out of the shop through a window along with something red he was unable to see.

"Claptrap, step back. These guys are mine."

"No ****ing way. I was here first."

"You will get another oil can."

"Alrighty! They are all yours!"

"Awesome." He turned to the bandits. "And I won't even use my guns."

"Just kidding!" Claptrap yelled as he took out the smg and gunned down every mook in the shop.

Braylon deadpanned. "That was a dick move."

"Life is hard, deal with it."

They both heard an explosion outside and rushed out to see what was going on. There, Braylon saw the girl again. This time she held a large red and black scythe he was sure it was far to heavy for a girl that size, yet able to carry it like a weapon. She quickly threw a glance at his way, their eyes meeting for a second time, before she turned around. Braylon followed her movements and saw the man going for the roof of a building. Braylon left Claptrap behind as he went for the ladder, only to see the girl flying after a loud bang.

" _Goodbye physics. Nice knowing you._ " Braylon mentally sighed as he was the third person to reach the roof. " _Must ask her how she did that._ "

But he was already too late, as the man stood inside a flying vehicle of some kind. He threw an object at the girl's feet before pointing his cane at her. Whatever he was about to do was stopped by Braylon who took the energy pistol and fired at the man's shoulder, causing him to fall somehwere inside the vehicle with a loud scream. He came back up, angrier than before, and, before Braylon could do anything, fired a shot at the two of them, seemingly from his cane.

A woman came out of nowhere and conveniently stopped the bullet from harming them by casting, what Braylon thought it was, a purplish circle, which quickly turned into several tendrils that returned fire to the sender. She then formed black clouds that bombarded the vehicle with ice shards.

" _Well, that's some bullshit._ "

Just when he thought he saw enough, there came yet another woman out from the shadows. From what he was able to see, he saw a red dress that began glowing as soon as her hands were set of fire. Braylon groaned and decided to end the comedy by pointing his gun at one of the engines and firing until it started malfunctioning, the woman almost falling out from the aircraft because of it. Whoever was the pilot made a smart decision and decided to fly away.

"...That was so anticlimactic."

The blurted response that came from Braylon's mouth made the two of them turn their heads to him. He really didn't like the funny look that the blonde with a whip was giving him.


	10. Don't Make A Lemonade

And so there he was, sitting in a room so dark that he could barely see anything, except for what a lamp above his head illuminated, which was a desk. Waiting half an hour for anything to happen made him really bored as there was nothing in the room that was worthy of examining. After the fifteen minute mark, Braylon decided to dive into the PDA to check if everything was in its proper place, if the database lacked something and his current health, both physical and psychological. Wincing slightly at the latter state, Braylon was interrupted in his work by the voice.

" _Another thing._ "

He stopped mid-tap and looked up, towards the door. " _What now?_ "

" _During your stay here, should I warn you about the presence of my brothers, you will cease anything you do and stop them in whatever they try, wherever they try. The last thing I need is them establishing a foothold in this reality. Should they succeed, any effort to save this reality will be utterly pointless._ "

" _And how am I gonna know where exactly will they be?_ "

" _I will guide you._ "

" _And let me guess, they won't give up on_ _his place_ _, will they?_ "

" _Without a doubt. They don't know fear, because no mortal can do anything to them, only determination to reach their goals. Some attempts will revolve around deception and mortal manipulation, others will be less-subtle and more focused on causing as much damage as possible before retreating and attacking somewhere else. You don't know my brothers, but I do._ "

As the voice ended its speech, the door opened and the woman with the riding crop came in. She didn't say anything to him, just reached the table and glared at the young man in front of her. In Braylon's opinion, she was trying to hard to act all strict and disciplined. She began pacing left and right.

"I certainly hope you understand the danger you and the young lady put yourselves in by executing that little stunt of yours."

Were those different times, Braylon's reply wouldn't be very appropriate, as it would make his life harder by diminishing his chances to infiltrate into that academy through "pretend to be a wannabe student" plan. Of course, flipping the bird should never be an appropriate response to anything. So instead he was forced to act shy, as if the scolding from the older-than-him was actually working.

"I said this before to the young lady and I will say it to you. If it were up to me I would send you home with a pat on the back..." He raised an eyebrow. "...and a slap on the wrist." She slapped the table with her riding crop. He didn't move an inch, which only served to make her glare even more cringeworthy. "But, there is someone who would like to meet both of you."

Behind her came yet another person. A man with white hair and a pair of too small to be relevant in their purpose. Aside from looking serious, as a man in a black coat can be, he was also holding a mug. He could hear the voice giggling at the back of his mind. It was faint yet perceptible, enough to give him goosebumps.

The man coughed in his fist before muttering something about the eyes. "Before I start any kind of conversation, I need to know the person sitting in front of me. So would you kindly tell me your name, mister..."

"Braylon." He replied quickly, trying to look as innocent as a seventeen-years-old teenager could. "Braylon Monocriffe, sir."

"Mister Braylon." The man nodded. "I hope you realize the situation you are currently in."

"S-sir?"

The man pulled out a device which played the footage of him and Claptrap back at that shop along with the eventual death of those bandits by the hands of the Claptrap's SMG. There was no emotion on Braylon's face that would indicate horror at the sight, which made him panic slightly when he realized his mistake a little bit too late to do anything.

"Now, to an untrained eye, it may seem that the robot was holding you hostage or threatening you in any way. But I see it differently."

" _Oh yeah?_ "

"To me it seems that you and that robot are... partners. Am I correct?"

"Technically, we are just-"

"And I am convinced you know that, what that robot did, was nothing short of a crime."

This made Braylon a little bit more antsy than he inteded. "So what?" He blurted out. "They were bandits. They threatened an honest, taxpaying citizen."

"And I assume that is your argument for taking those lives, rather than have them spend some time in prison?"

While Braylon had a somewhat excellent control of his emotions, due to the emotional suppressor implant, the fuse was already lit. "And to give those bandits to some pompous old man in a chair which will condemn them a year or two in jail, only to let them back out to do what they want? And we are not even talking about the corrupt ones!" The man frowned slightly as he stared at the Vault Hunter. "Who is gonna "reform" them? Politicians? Sure, if they ever pull their heads out of their asses and stop lying to people in their face. Economists? No thanks, they are busy treating humans like cattle for a debt-fueled machine that was doomed to fail since its inception. So tell me, who is gonna do it?"

"Huntsmen."

Braylon would continue his tirade if he didn't caught their glares, first at him then at each other. He had gone too far. It was time to return to his make-believe good guy personality. "Who?"

"Huntsmen. People who dedicate their lives to the benefit of all mankind. Those who wish to change the world, who protect what little remains of our exsistence on such a harsh planet that is Remnant."

" _And fail epicly at that._ "

"These are the people who come from all walks of life. From those who live in poverty to those rich enough to afford a high standard of living. All of them fighting against one common enemy."

"Which is?"

"The Grimm that roam outside those walls."

"...Who are you?"

"Ozpin is my name. I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy."

Braylon's eyes widened involuntarily. He couldn't believe his luck. It was convenient. Almost disturbingly so. "You mean-"

"Yes." He nodded. "That Beacon Academy."

"And... what did I do, exactly, to deserve an audience with the headmaster himself?"

"That robot... is your ally. It also commited a crime. As such, you must be held responsible for it in the same way as that robot."

" _Well, if we ignore the bullshit reasoning and the fact that Claptrap is capable of doing things on its own..._ Go on."

"You should be delivered to the court and sentenced to prison. However..."

"However?"

"Say, how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen. That still makes you a minor, meaning that you can't be held responsible. Someone older should take that responsibility." The woman behind him unfolded her arms and stared at the man, her frown softening slightly at the implication.

"And who would that be?" Braylon tried to act dumb.

"That person... would be me."

"...I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I am willing to take responsibility for the murder of those people."

"But..." Braylon chuckled. He knew it was an act of mockery towards them, but he made it look like he couldn't believe what he heard. "Wait, wait... there's gotta be something behind this generous offer, am I right?"

"Yes. In return, I want you to join my academy."

Braylon couldn't take it anymore and laughed out loud. He seriously started thinking that the voice might had its fingers behind that comedy. It was a demon, after all. However, he also had to act as natural as possible.

"And why should I accept this invitation?"

"Because the other solution wouldn't make anyone happy, I'm sure of it."

He waited for a few moments. "Question."

"Yes?"

"Can I bring my robot?"

* * *

"Oh my gosh! You are coming too?!"

"Yes."

"Cool." The girl muttered.

Everything went smoothly so far. With the access to the academy falling right into his lap, without even breaking a sweat, made things far less complicated than he had anticipated. If everything went like that, he thought, it will be a piece of cake for him to reach the object of interest. They even called a taxi to bring him towards the airport. Him and the girl.

Right, the girl. He wasn't entirely sure why she was coming too. She had to be a few years younger than him. Still, there must have been a good reason why that headmaster, that Ozpin, decided to enrol her too. He wanted to ask her, but what he received so far were awkward answers from an even more awkward individual. Sighing, he admitted to himself that asking her about anything was a waste of his time, so he decided to shut up and wait patiently for the taxi.

Their car arrived ten minutes later. It was in a far better condition than virtually any four-wheeled machine on Pandora. No missing parts, nothing that looks like it could explode any minute, nothing sharp that could give you instant tetanus just by touching it with a finger. In other words, a completely normal car, complete with a storage compartment for holding a tied up Claptrap who, while unable to move, was very much able to swear, as evidenced by the muffled beeping every five seconds. He never thought he would see the day.

The ride was quiet ever since it started. Their taxi moved at moderate speeds, allowing Braylon to see many buildings. He still didn't get used to the beauty that was the city. It was calm, yet filled with life around every corner, peaceful and clean. A tiny jewel in the mud. He was interrupted in his musings by the girl that tapped him on the shoulder. He turned towards her.

"What is it?"

"Heh, sorry. I was wondering if you could... you know..." She rubbed the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "...show me your weapons?"

"No."

The straight-up, blunt answer confused her completely. She started begging.

"I said no."

Then she used a technique that all girls her age know and use it for their evil purposes. A technique that not one person can escape from. The puppy dog eyes. Especially her version, which, due to her silver eyes, made it look even cuter. Braylon, however, just deadpanned, placed a hand on her head and turned it towards her window.

"I used that trick too when I was younger. Not working on me."

He saw her puffing up her cheeks and sighed.

" _I'll never understand women..._ "

Eventually they reached the airport. But to his surprise, there were no such things as airplanes or helicopters. Rather, there was a giant thing with several pairs of wings that looked more like a metallic blimp than an airplane. It was full of people waiting in line to reach its insides. Braylon and the girl stood close to each other but then, when they finally entered, separated and went each on the opposite side of the vehicle. He didn't bother thinking about the girl and sat down on a metallic bench, scrolling through the PDA and ignoring every other student around him, including the Claptrap who stood beside him, now free to move. A voice reached his ears several minutes after they took off. Raising his head, he was looking at a holographic screen.

"...And now the news. The scientific community of Vale reported that the scientists discovered not one, but two new species roaming around the walls outside the kingdom. Something that baffled the scientists from all over Remnant, as it is unknown how didn't anyone noticed them sooner, especially due to their nature."

Braylon's eyes widened when two images appeared above the woman. The one on the left was that of a Swarmer Sturg he encountered in that dimension while the one on the right was a creature he was sure he had never seen before. A green, four-legged something that lacked arms and had a face that resembled a demented version of a sad emoji, only with darkness filling the orifices, rather than an actual mout or eyes.

"According to the scientific community, both species are extremely territorial and agressive. They can, and will, attack everyone on sight. The insectoid on the left lives in groups and is as large as a Boarbatusk. One shouldn't be a problem but a whole group is enough of a danger to pose a threat even to the best Huntsmen and Huntresses Vale has to offer. The one on the right should be avoided at all times. Do not, I repeat, do not approach this creature, for if any human or Faunus does, it will run towards them and self-destruct, causing potentially fatal wounds. One must always be careful in their natural habitat, because they, much to the community's confusion, make no noise in any action they partake, making them a threat that shouldn't be taken lightly." The pictures dissapeared only to be replaced with another one, showing a huge crater. "Disturbing news come from outside the walls. The village of Clacton, with all of its inhabitants, dissapeared in the night around the time of the earthquake, leaving behind a crater approximately ten kilomters wide and two deep. Researchers are unable to find out what could cause such a catastrophe. According to them, a Grimm attack isn't possible because there is simply nothing left to analyze, although they are sure that the dissapearance is closely related to the massive energy outburt that fried several machines in many laboratories across Vale."

Braylon's mind went blank after that. " _Shit._ " He covered his face with his hands. " _Shit. Shit. Shit._ "

He started panicking heavily. The fact that not one, but two different species, definitely not belonging to this reality, suddenly found themselves on Remnant, meant that at least two rifts were opened somewhere on the surface of the planet, allowing specimens of both species to cross over, this in turn meant that, depending on the time of their arrival, they most likely started breeding and colonizing, eventually resulting in a massive damage dealt to the natural ecosystem. The disturbing line of thought was brought up to eleven when he started projecting that same situation only happening in different realities and organisms. Just one of the consequences of the multiversal apocalypse that was about to unravel, him being powerless to stop it in any way. His attention was once again taken away when the holographic screen changed with the projection of the woman who stood with Ozpin back at that building.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy."

" _Oh, right. Prestigious as in "we are going to make you learn how to commit suicide"._ " Braylon snarked mentally and scoffed.

"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace..."

" _Methinks you are all screwed as soon as the shitstorm happens._ "

"...You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task and now..."

Braylon stopped focusing on the boring introductory speech and instead decided to search with his eyes for the red reaper riding hood. He found her, or at leas the thought he did, standing near a girl taller than her, wearing something that passes as armor these days (as in, effective enough to distract the opposite gender but not enough to protect from an actual "bullet-in-vagina" that bandits like to perform on any female they get their disgusting hands on) and with a hair so long and so golden that she might as well be the daughter of Midas himself. A girl that, in his brief analysis based on the info he received just from looking at her, is not afraid to express her natural beauty. In other words, a pile of excrement so stinky that it can attract flies light-years away from it.

"Mm.. sorry!" The young Vault Hunter jumped away just in time as a blond started vomiting near him. Braylon swore loudly and punched the offender in the face so hard that he walked backwards, going towards the Yellow and Red, and vomited some more near them.

Braylon sighed in irritation. "Yay, the fun begins."

"Well, somebody likes Walt Disney." Was the first Claptrap's comment as soon as he reached the firm ground. Truly, Beacon Academy looked more of a castle than an educational institution, with the highest tower giving the illusion that it touched the sky. According to Braylon, it was nothing more than a glorified waste of taxpayer money for an institution that could accomplish its reason for exsistence with an average building and still be a prestigious school. But it seems that peacocks must always show their feathers wherever they go.

And while vomit boy was busy doing what he did best in the nearest trash can, the duo wasted no time and followed the road that lead to the academy. On their way, they found Red talking with a girl in a white dress.

"Seriosuly though, what's with the color theme?" Claptrap whispered loudly to Braylon, who shrugged. "No idea. Must be part of their culture." The robot snorted. "Ha! Culture my ass! Time to put my tin foil hat and go ****ing bananas with this ****. Boy, I tell you, I'm here for giggles."

Claptrap rolled away from Braylon and towards the girl in white. He snatched a bottle from her hands and started shaking it, spilling out a cloud of red dust. Unfortunately the other girl sneezed, resulting in a gigantic explosion. Braylon had no idea why everyone survived that, even Claptrap, who returned to the Vault Hunter, now covered in soot.

"Can't these autistic ****s just cool it off with their bull**** for, like, ten seconds? I swear, the more time I spend in this cesspool, the more I go crazy."

Braylon facepalmed. "You and me both. What was that anyways?"

"**** if I know. Something about dust. Nothing important."

Leaving the two bickering girls behind, Braylon and his robot companion marched forward, not bothering to stop at anyone or anything. Eventually they reached a large group of students, who were seemingly waiting for something to happen. There were also the two girls from earlier, along with the blonde one. He didn't hear their conversation because he was far from them, nor did he care. His reason for being there wasn't to make "friends", but to do something that could as well put the whole planet in danger.

His eyes slowly moved from side to side, taking a good look at the future students of the academy. So far he got the impression that none of them was exactly a hero material. While their weapons were mediocre at best, their "armor" left much to be desired, if it could even be called that. Also, none of them had anything that would resemble a Shield, thus increasing his skepticism at their ability to be usefuly in any way, shape or form.

And that was when the headmaster appeared.

"I'll... keep this brief." He started. Braylon and Claptrap ignored him and instead focused on a conversation of their own. A conversation that was, and we are being honest, thought-provoking and brimming with intellectual power.

"Ten bucks I say he lives a secret life as a pimp."

"That guy?" Claptrap snorted. "He looks like the biggest mother****ing cuck I've ever seen."

"Come on! He even has a cane!"

"He also has a loyal disciplinarian at his side who looks like an owner of a sex dungeon."

"... you do know that goes in my favor, right?"

"Hell no!"

"Hell yeah!"

Some nearby students shushed them as the woman, Glynda, reached the microphone and talked about a place where they would all gather for the night that was about to come. The introduction ended with that and soon everyone moved to the designated room.

* * *

The young Vault Hunter had no luck when it came to sleeping. It didn't matter how many sleeping drugs his PDA created or how much he tried to relax. Nothing could remove the horror that clawed at his sanity the moment his eyes. Before all of this happened, it was somehow manageable. All he needed to do was to activate one of PDA's functions which boosted his energy as if he drank several hundred cups of coffe. If he couldn't sleep, then he wouldn't sleep in the first place. But now, after he escaped from Hell, the problem became even more of a nightmare. Voices and images would randomly pop into his mind, sometimes he would start panicking, other times he would hold himself from becoming a pitiful pile on the floor, muttering and crying.

But that night, things were a tiny bit different. Since he didn't sleep, he sat on the floor, watching others doing it for him. Claptrap was busy doing something he didn't bother to notice and there was nothing else that would help him spend some time. At one point, the blond from earlier reached him and apologized for his... "problems".

"Apology accepted. Now fuck off. Last thing I need tonight is someone annoying like you." It served as a good enough offense to drove him away. What he truly needed was some peace for himself, at least for one night, before he returned to the horror show his life had become. Sadly, that peace would be far from his reach as long as people kept bickering loudly when they should go to sleep. In this case, the people in question were, how Braylon named them, White, Yellow and Red.

" _Add a Black and we have the flag of Maryland, for fuck's sake._ "

Apparently Yellow dragged Red towards a fourth girl, they started chatting when White appeared out of nowhere, who started complaining. Yellow replied but was shushed by Red. The fourth girl got tired of their antics and blew out a candle, thus saving them all from his wrath, which probably wouldn't end well for any of them.

" _At least th_ _at_ _problem is solved, thank God._ "

While he didn't need to sleep, he still decided to lay in one of the bags provided by the academy. So far he found two possible options for solving his problem. Option A: if he wanted to do the task he received with minimal damage possible, then he needed to act like your average student, so that nobody would suspect anything, while secretly trying to discover where the cursed thing was. Option B: he went in, killed anyone in his path, destroy the thing and get out.

The rational mind told him to pick A, because it would be somewhat easier. But in order to understand why Braylon didn't decide rationally, we need to understand how rationality works. The theory of rationality says that, in order for a decision to be rational, two conditions must be met. One, you always have to ask yourself what would a rational person do in that particular situation. Two, that action must be executed. This is all fine and dandy in theory, but there are some... problems. First of all, the term "rational" is very broad. If for someone an action is rational, it is because they believe it to be. The other problem is that a person can also act irationally.

Finally frustrated, Braylon shoved the thoughts aside.

" _Right. I better finish the initiation first. I hope it will be something easy._ "

* * *

 **Guest: Already answered the first question. As for the second one, I am still working on it, though I am inclined towards a no.**

 **M1rzaTheBroJo: Hm, I am not sure. Will see how my mind plays it all out.**


	11. Initiation Day

The initiation day was, quite possibly, the most memorable day in the life of Ruby Rose. History would be created during that one point in time and she, as everyone else around her, would be its main actors. On that point, she reminded herself to thank her sister after the initiation for waking her up...

Most of her time was spent on eating cookies and taking care of her favorite gun, a scythe sniper rifle she called "Crescent Rose", which was also her sweetheart. Many a student were creeped out by the midget in red when they stepped closer to start a conversation, only for her to growl as soon as their eyes glanced at the lethal tool.

One thing that bothered her constantly, apart her social awkwardness, was her inability to find that guy with his robotic companion. Just the night before she casually noticed him on the other end of the room, seemingly busy with something. And now he vanished like a ghost. She hoped to find him in the locker room but that turned out to be a failure.

The reason why she wanted to find that particular person was a rather simple one. Everyone was a stranger to her, except her sister and the other two girls she met... and that one blond guy whose name she forgot...

In any case, she wanted to socialize, mostly because her dear and sweet sister wouldn't stop bothering her about it. Especially when she learned that she, Ruby, met this guy. In all honesty, her older sister was a puzzle to her. One moment, she would tease Ruby and, as soon as said reaper showed her the person in question, all that air of fun kinda... dropped, soon to be replaced with utter annoyance and a comment about how "he looked average to her".

Ruby was finally able to meet him when the initiation started. She and everyone else were outside, listening to the headmaster's brief lecture. The boy's robot stood behid him.

"Your objective is... simple, although, due to the circumstances, it's far from it." The headmaster moved his head so that he could get a good look at every applicant. "All you need to do is to find and retrive a particular object. That said, the rumors you heard about teams are true. You will form pairs based one rule."

"And that would be?" One of the students asked.

"The first person you watch in the eyes will be your partner during your stay at the academy." He responded with extreme seriousness, much to everyone's confusion.

"What kind of half-assed rule is that?" She heard the boy ask disbelievingly. Even she had to cringe at such arbitrary rules.

But the headmaster went on, ignoring the comment. "A word of warning. Do not hesitate to use your weapons against every living thing out there, not just the Grimm. The Emerald Forest is filled with dangerous wildlife, as you may already know. Any questions?"

He paused briefly as someone raised a hand. "Yes?"

"Um... how are we going to... there?"

Everyone recoiled as they heard some kind of mechanisms activating, followed by that same voice screaming as it flew into the forest. Ruby briefly glanced at the boy she wanted to talk with.

"Oh motherfu-"

It was all she was able to hear before he flew backwards and into the forest.

* * *

This was officially one of the worst days of his life, according to Braylon. One that he would gladly forget if it weren't for the fact that his PDA was capable of turning his memories into data, storing them in the database and making them virtually indestructible.

Nevermind the fact that he ended up into a tree's crown, or the fact that he went through said crown and crashed into another tree, sending both him and the tree to the ground. What made him angry was the huge amount of time he was going to waste just to find an object in a forest. Time that wasn't really on his side.

So after he decided that he had enough staring at the green foliage above him, the Vault Hunter jumped back to his feet. He felt no pain as the Shield absorbed the damage, but even then had to admit that what the headmaster pulled there was just dirty.

He glanced at the destroyed tree, brooding about how he had killed an organism even before he started the initiation. Was that all he would do in his life? Just kill things to death? He wasn't sure. He was, however, clueless as to which direction should he pick to start his search. Shrugging to himself, Braylon took a random direction, hoping that it wouldn't be a wrong one.

His travels brought him to a small clearing, illuminated by the sunlight. He stopped mid-step when he heard something shuffling in the bushes. Seconds after he turned to look at the spot, someone came out. It was a girl with short blue hair and emerald green eyes. She was holding some kind of a blocky, black rifle in one hand while the other held said hand firmly in place. Braylon raised an eyebrow as he was finally able to notice her state. Bleeding wounds everywhere, clothes torn apart, a look that begged him to help her. Something that he did not.

He had two reasons why. His personal one was, to quote, "not giving enough fucks". The other was because she was died way before he could do something.

It happened like this. The girl took few more steps forward, barely able to hold herself from crashing down on the dirt below her. She dropped her weapon as she slowly raised a hand towards him, tears falling from her eyes. Suddenly, something large and black roared as it jumped out from the foliage and straight down on the girl. It happened so quickly, that Braylon was only able to register a large maw biting down the victim. Blood splashed everywhere, followed with loud pops and crunches. After said maw lifted up, and kept munching on the corpse, Braylon finally realized that the creature was nothing more than a large Beowolf.

The Beowolf spotted Braylon and stopped chewing the victim, whose legs and arms could be seen dangling from the mouth. It perked up its ears as he drew his pistol. It kept staring for few more seconds, then opened its mouth and shook its head, spitting the corpse somewhere to its left. It chuckled as Braylon pointed his gun at it, with more Beowolves stepping out from their hiding places.

" _A pack... this day just keeps getting better and better._ "

It soon became clear that the other Beowolves were the underlings, their sizes varying, yet none of them were as developed or as large as the leader who, unlike the rest of them, sported additional armor made of bone on its entire body.*

(Doom: Plutonia 2 – Deadly Town)

The two smallest Beowolves, having nothing but the bony masks, growled and ran towards Braylon. One of them received four shots and crashed into the ground mid-rush but he was unable to stop the other, who leaped with the intention of tackling him to the ground. Instead, he cocked back his left hand, materialized Holo Sabre and pushed it forward right as the tiny Beowolf reached his personal space, impaling it through the chest. That wasn't enough, as the young Grimm kept biting and scratching at his Shield. Braylon put an end to its life by pointing the pistol at its head and firing until it stopped moving.

Tossing aside the body with the fuming head, Braylon saw three larger Beowolves fastly approaching his position. He jumped backwards, avoiding two of them. The third one was, apparently, smarter as it leaped from his position with the speed of a bullet and slapped Braylon, tossing him into a tree.

" _Alright... not bad..._ " He slowly got back to his feet and swapped his pistol for the Orphan Maker. " _Looks like I need a bigger stick..._ "

Just as he thought that, a Beowolf jumped from his left side, straight towards the business end of his weapon. He simply pulled the trigger, gifting the Grimm with a huge hole in its chest, as if a cannonball passed through.

" _Guess who just got the Darwin award..._ "

Braylon quickly reloaded his shotgun, not wanting to get ambushed again by the monsters. The trio from before tried their trick again, but he was prepared this time. Due to his Shield being fully charged, the Orphan Maker received a drastic increase in its lethality, to the point that the first Beowolf's upper body turned into a cloud of gore as Braylon pumped two cartridges worth of ammo into the creature. Rolling forward, he dodged the second Grimm's swipe. Then he slid below the third one's legs as it attempted to grab him.

As soon as the Beowolf was behind him, the Vault Hunter spun around, temporarily switched Orphan Maker for the Holo Sabre and stabbed it into the back. It howled as it tried to shake Braylon off, who grabbed its fur and climbed on top of its shoulders. He then jumped into the air above and landed on top of the Beowolf's head, splitting the skull in two with his holographic tool.

Using the about-to-fall corpse as additional help, Braylon jumped towards the last remaining Beowolf of the trio. Both of them crashed to the ground, with Braylon on top. Raising his Holo Sabre, he brought it down towards its head, but was stopped when the Beowolf in question grabbed him with both of its hands, clearly knowing his intentions. It howled and flailed with legs and head while loosing the power struggle. Braylon kicked the Beowolf's head, making it loose its concentration for a brief moment and allowing Braylon to proceed with his execution. The Holo Sabre went deep inside its mouth, the tip emerging out from the back of the head, as a torrent of blood rushed out. Braylon jumped off,, allowing the monster to choke in its own life liquid.

The last two members of the pack were killed with the Ajax's Spear, each bullet tearing huge chunks out of their bodies, turning them into a bloody mess. Only the alpha remained.

Braylon spun around several times, searching for the last remaining threat. After the third attempt, he turned around and saw the alpha just in time as it grabbed him and lifted him up. His rifle fell to the ground before he could do anything with it. Braylon had to resort to more radical methods of breaking himself free from its grasp by materializing Holo Sabre and repeatedly stabbing the arm until the Grimm let him go. As he fell, he noticed that a small swarm of Sturgs rushed towards them both. Swearing loudly, he grabbed Ajax's Spear and started running in the opposite direction. He was also able to pick up the black gun that belonged to the woman from earlier. There was no need to turn his back to know that those animals assaulted the alpha Beowolf, even less for knowing that there might be a possibility that some Sturgs decided he was more tasty than the Grimm.

So he limited himself to sprinting forward, hoping to escape. Fighting a swarm of those insects on such an open area was a fool's errand. Even more so when he didn't have lots of ammo.

He eventually stumbled into a cave, in which he gladly went without thinking twice. As soon as he went a little deeper, the air became colder and the light dimmer. He had to activate night vision if he wished to proceed further. At one point in time, Braylon noticed that something was approaching him from the opposite side. As it came closer, it became evident that what ran towards him was one of those things that he saw on the news the day before. The one that, according to reporter, could explode if it came too close to its target. **

Braylon aimed with his rifle and fired a short burst at the creature. For some reason, the bullets made it explode with enough force to shake the cave. Panicking, he wanted to turn around, to avoid being buried under a pile of rocks. But as he did, the ground below him crumbled and he fell into the short abyss, which consisted of a large lake with rocks serving as its bottom. Since the water barely reached above his ankles, the fall would have been a rather unfortunate event for a common person.

Landing on his butt, the Vault Hunter hissed slightly at the painless discomfort. He got up few minutes later after he took a good look of his much colder surroundings. There were two tunnel-holes positioned so that, should he turn towards one, the other would be behind him. He turned to one of them because he heard that unmistakable sound of tiny legs skittering on the hard rock. The one and only warning that Sturgs were approaching.

Seeing no point in waiting for them to come en masse, Braylon pressed the trigger, firing into the darkness of the tunnel, hoping to kill some of the insects. High-pitched shrieking and explosions echoed through the cave as the first Sturgs came into view. Swarmers and Mireborns came by dozens, most of them exploding as the bullets tore through their bodies.

Then the rifle clicked.

"Shit!" Braylon cursed as he took several steps back. His only effective defense was out of bullets, so he was forced to backtrack to the tunnel behind him. As he went through the tunnel, he took out the pistol and the Unforgiven, using them to kill several fast Swarmers. The Unforgiven was out of ammo too, so he placed it back into its respective holster and kept firing with the pistol. Suddenly, he lost his footing, screaming as he fell backwards, sliding down the slippery earth below him.

The slide ended abruptly as he shot out of the tunnel and on the cold, hard floor. Still, he kept firing at the slowly decreasing numbers of Sturgs, until none of them remained alive, ignoring his surroundings for the moment. After the last Sturg was dead, his acidic fluids contributing in making the tunnel unusable, Braylon sighed in relief as he stood up.

(Atrium Carceri – Ruins of Desolation)

"Great." He muttered to himself as he turned around. "Now where am... oh..."

His pistol slipped from his hands, landing on the floor with an echoing thud. In front of him was the last thing he needed to see. A large tunnel-like cave, with walls covered in slime and moisture, groups of glowing fungi scattered everywhere, cocooned remains of both animal and something he couldn't quite recognize, giant glowing egg clusters every few meters or so.

It was a nest.

And he had to go through it.

"Fuck. Me."

The good news was that none of the inhabitants came to greet the newcomer. Yet. Quietly picking up the pistol, he began walking down the tunnel while also inspecting his surroundings for potential ambush spots. He stopped at the first egg cluster.

"Computer. Activate BioScan."

 **BioScan activated.**

The touchscreen detached and rose vertically, like a computer monitor, revealing a small kit containing freshly-formed tools used for gathering specimens and data. A tiny camera formed near the monitor, which Braylon pointed at the egg cluster. Said camera beeped as a bluish light scanned one of the eggs, with the monitor displaying some basic information about it.

 **Scanning complete.** **Data incomplete. Warning: required sample to complete data.**

Braylon took a small syringe from the kit and stabbed it delicately into an egg. After he extracted some of the yellowish liquid, he returned the syringe to the kit.

 **Extracting samples. New data acquired. Elaboration...**

One of Braylon's reasons for starting such a project was purely scientific. Cataloguing newly discovered species was not only helpful in expanding his already large knowledge, but it also helped him fighting more efficiently those organisms that turned out to be hostile. In this case, it was Sturgs, as he named them, although he was sure he would need way more than one sample, since there were so many subspecies fo those insects.

A shrill wail made him more aware of his surroundings, as he immediately stopped everything to find the source of the noise. There, out of the next egg cluster few meters forward, came out something that could be best described as a yellowish worm the size of a human leg, with three tiny legs on each side and a grayish beak-like mouth. It also had two long, black antennae just above the beak. ***

It came out, seemingly unaware of the human intruder. It then stood erected like a signpost, only to let out another wail. Braylon took no chances and fired with the pistol, frying the insect-like creature and ending the wail abruptly. He would return to his previous job, if it weren't for the fact that he heard the skittering noise coming out of every hole in the wall around him.

" _Um, not to be a bother... oh who gives a damn. Give me some ammo!_ "

" _This is becoming more tiresome than it is worth._ "

Two black cases teleported close to his location, one of them containing an unmodified grenade. Braylon swapped the pistol for Ajax's Spear, reloaded and took the grenade in his left hand.

A group of Mireborns appeared from behind. After he killed them, he turned around to deal with three more Mireborns, followed with five Swarmers. He reloaded as a group of ten Sturgs marched towards him. While the rifle was good with dealing with the insects, in such particular situations would do poorly to protect its user. That is why Braylon threw the grenade, which also happened to land near the egg cluster responsible for the worm-like creature from before. The explosion that followed was more than welcome, as it not only killed the entire group, but it also destroyed the eggs, splashing their content everywhere.

Braylon jumped over puddles of acid and kept going forward, now free from danger. He met more of the yellow worms, which he killed before they could alert more members of the hive. After some time, he stumbled into yet another type of worm, yet this one was much, much different.

It looked physically like its yellow counterpart, only ten times the size, far bigger then a human. It had no antennae and its color was somewhere between orange and red. ****

As soon as it spotted him, it opened the mouth and released a stream of fire. Even when he jumped to the left, the Shield took some damage, but still nothing worrisome as fire did poorly against that technology.

"Jesus." Braylon complained as he got up. "Where the fuck did you come from? Sci-fi movie from the fifties?"

The worm let out a deep wail as if it understood him.

"Well, this ain't no fifties!" He roared as he fired several bullets at the creature. All it did was pierce the skin, causing small torrents of reddish ichor. Other than that, it didn't prove very effective.

It wailed again before gurgling as if choking on something, shaking in the process.

"Ugh, so disgust-oh shit!" Braylon immediately dived away from an incoming fireball.

"Enough with this!" The Vault Hunter materialized the Orphan Maker. As the animal spat another stream of flames, Braylon jumped sideways and fired, the shot perforating enough of its body to spill large quantities of the red ichor, much to the thing's distress. A second shot made even more damage, making it rise the upper body in the air. The third shot split it in half, killing it.

"Finally..."

With the last bastion of resistance was brought down, Braylon had the peace required to go further into the tunnel. It took him approximately fifteen minutes to reach the dead end. There were two things of interest there. First, the egg clusters were tightly packed, filling most of the space, going so far as to hang from the ceiling and walls. And second, there was a pile of earth, almost like a mound in the middle of the sea of eggs. Braylon had to climb it to reach the top. To his surprise, there was another hole that led deeper into the earth.

* * *

 **M1rzaTheBroJo: Depends on its functionality in the story. Keep in mind that his arsenal will grow over time. Some weapons will probably be replaced, some added, etc.**

* * *

 ***Entry #28:** Alpha Beowolf

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _While Grimm are largely useless, they do have a rather interesting way of self-improvement. Their strenght and intelligence increases with age, bonus points_ _i_ _f they happen to survive one or more conflicts with mortals._ _Some achieve sentience, others become unstoppable. In the case of Beowolves, they achieve alpha status,_ _thus the ability to form packs that will obey their orders without questioning them. An elite mook at best and a greater annoyance at worst._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #29:** Creeper

 **Type:** Riftspawn

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _Exploding green penises. Why do I have a feeling that this thing is going to spawn memes in whatever this reality has for internet?_ "

* * *

 *****Entry #30:** Sturg – Larva

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Insect

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _I see no reason why this thing exsists. There is literally no reason. Not only these insects are so diverse that every subspecies might as well be a species on its own, but so far not one individual had any signs that it passed from a larva-like state. This makes me think that these larvae, apart from being walking alarms it seems, might actually be useful for another, third, subspecies. A suvspecies that I yet have to see._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #31:** Sturg – Advanced Larva

 **Type:** Riftspawn – Insect

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _..._ _Yeah, no. Scratch that. I'm beginning to think that these larvae are actually the third subspecies I mentioned in entry #30, never meant to develop past that point. More importantly, how the fuck can these things spit out fire?!_ "


	12. Guardian

(Metatron Omega - Apotheosis)

As suspected, the hole lead deeper into the hive. To the lower levels, to be precise. Dragging himself through the cold tunnel, Braylon thought about a way to reach the surface. Since the only way was forward, he had no choice but to follow whatever road lay in front of him, hoping that one might eventually spit him back into the forest.

The first detail that was able to catch his sight was the large quantities of egg clusters scattered everywhere. He immediately thought that he was reaching the hive, which made him frown. The only noise that filled his ears was the sound of eggs squishing, jerking at the slightest touch or releasing disgusting gasses. He cut his way through the eggs with his Holo Sabre and pushed himself forward into the unknown.

Some twenty meters later, Braylon stumbled upon yet another insect which shared no traits with the ones he met before. Its overall difference made him think it was some rival species at first, but then he noticed that said insect focused entirely on him and ignored the eggs.

"Oh you're kidding..."

His first thought was that he was looking at a Varkid knock-off, the one that reached the third evolutionary stage, just a tiny bit smaller. It had a black body like that of a stag beetle, armored spider-like legs, a crocodile-like head with no snout, a mouth filled with tiny sharp teeth, a split jaw, several pair of eyes and a curvy horn identical to that of a Hercules beetle growing out of its forehead.*

Braylon tried to keep his fear in control. Perhaps the creature had trouble recognizing him. Perhaps it was friendly.

" _Oh who am I kidding._ "

He materialized Striker, quickly aimed at the insectoid's head and fired. To his surprise, it took the 12 gauge shell to the face very well, grumbling quietly and shaking its head. It was time to counterattack.

The creature's horn sparked with electricity, appearing from the root and rising to the tip, forming a small blue sphere. Braylon let out the most manliest of screams as an electric bolt hit him, rapidly draining his Shield. He had to hide behind an egg to avoid getting hit by the second one.

" _That thing is a reverse lightning conductor with legs!_ " He hyperventilated, waited a few seconds and peaked out only to immediately pull his head back as a third bolt threatened to hit him. " _This won't work. I have to take the hit._ " He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in frustration, then roared as he jumped out and fired two more shots with the Striker while immediately receiving an electric barrage in return.

At that point it became a battle of who was going to die first. Both sides gave and received heavy damage, the insect's head started bleeding heavily while Braylon felt the pain only an electric shock can give. Eventually Braylon proved to be tougher, as the creature succumbed to its injuries.

"Fucking finally, thank God, Jesus..." Braylon slumped and sighed in relief. "Brr! Stupid electricity."

The earth started shaking as something dug its way into the tunnel. Braylon snapped back into concentration mode as he wildly glanced left and right to find any signs of a possible threat. To his chagrin, two more of those insectoids crawled out from their improvised holes.

"...Son of a bi-!"

* * *

"Tch!"

Among the new students, one of them was Ruby's sister. Her name was Yang Xiao Long and she was one of the best brawlers in the whole kingdom. Let it be known that she was also really humble.

As Yang jumped away from an attacking Ursa, her partner, whom she met half an hour ago, used her weapon to strike a fatal blow to the Grimm who was rather too focused on Yang to see her.

"Meh, I had him." Yang shrugged as they both moved forward.

"Hey, Blake."

"Hm?" Her not-so-talkative partner turned her head.

"Have I mentioned I have a sister?"

"You did now."

"Ha ha." Yang rubbed her nose. "But seriously, I have a sister. Name's Ruby."

"And?"

"She... kind of... met this guy..."

"So?"

"So... I dunno... looks weird to me."

"...okay?"

"I'm not saying he may be her boyfriend or anything. I am not that overprotective."

Her partner watched as Yang cracked her knuckles. Something told her that speaking her mind wouldn't be good for her health.

"I didn't say anything to her, though. I just think... I dunno, he kinda gave me the creeps. No, not talking about stalker creepy but... just creepy."

She slowly nodded but Yang didn't see it.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things. Maybe, just maybe, he is a nice person and I am just trying to make excuses. Heck, he is maybe the nicest person around! Wouldn't even hurt a fly and all of that, you know?"

* * *

Braylon roared as he grabbed the insect's horn with his right hand. Letting the electricity to flow through his Shield-protected body, he materialized Holo Ripper and cut of the horn, then he roared once more as he shoved said horn into the creature's mouth. The electric discharge caused its head to shake violently before exploding.

"I am unstoppable!" He yelled, fist-bumping the air. Turning around, he decided to check out the long trail of insectoid corpses that littered the tunnel. The one he just killed was tenth in a row.

" _Damn, I am good._ "

The young Vault Hunter continued down towards the literal light at the end of the tunnel. His walk became pacing. Pacing became running. Maybe it was a way out. Maybe he would be free.

If only.

When he arrived, his jaw simply opened without his consent at the sight before him. He was standing in a spherical room, excavated like the rest of the hive, with egg clusters providing light in what would otherwise be a dark room. At the opposite side of the room, right near the walls themselves, lay the giant body of what he could only describe as the matriarch, or even patriarch, of the Sturgs, completely encased in black-purple obsidian. Something was floating just few meters above the macabre display. Something impossibly black.

Spherical, that was the only detail his eyes could perceive. It was a sphere, a massive sphere, so pitch black that Braylon couldn't even comprehend if it was three dimensional, much less what exactly that thing was. Other than a faint, yet loud, echo of gears grinding against each other, a noise that was seemingly so distant that it could as well come from another room entirely, as absurd as that sounded, it was completely silent. He wasn't even sure if it acknowledged his exsistence.**

He had an answer as soon as the spherical object distanced itself from the preserved insect and went higher.

(Metal Slug 6 – Biotoxic)

The object remained still for a few minutes before it created glowing red patterns. Said patterns consisted of large lines shaped to form a complex labyrinth all over the surface of the object. What was noteworthy was the fact that the lines always formed ninety-degree angles. As soon as the process was completed, the object became surrounded in a thick coat of flames as did the ground below it, where the shadow was supposed to be. It suddenly surged forward toward Braylon, setting the ground on fire as it moved in the air.

"Jesus!" Braylon barely escaped the sudden attack as he jumped to the right. The flames were inexplicably extinguished seconds after their master left their position. It almost looked like a trail.

The object returned, intending to hit the Vault Hunter. While he did escape, prevent the most catastrophic damage, his Shield still had to suffer. Same thing happened for two more times, before the object stopped in the middle of the room. Braylon fired few shots with the Unforgiven but he had no idea if it did anything. He never heard the bullets hitting something or even ricochet from the surface.

It slowly descended until it touched the ground. Braylon heard a faint clicking, as if some mechanism was activated. The object split in two equal horizontal parts, with the upper one slowly rising above, allowing Braylon to see its innards and the clicking to drastically, and painfully, increase in volume.

Gears. There was nothing but gears of all shapes, sizes and materials piled in one large sphere. Picture, if you will, something strongly resembling the Russian nesting dolls. That was the picture Braylon had in mind as he stupidly stared into the object, unable to understand how such simple, yet complex, machine can even begin to work. Then the gears detached one by one, each going into one of the black parts that protected them, until all that remained was yet another sphere, which was the size of a human torso, red as the patterns from earlier.

Four long streams of fire were projected from the sphere, one for each side, standing still for a few seconds before slowly moving in circles, a tactic to incinerate everything in the room.

All Braylon had to do was to stand in a space between two streams to avoid getting burnt to ashes. As the temperature rose to barely tolerable levels, the Vault Hunter materialized his assault rifle and fired into the red sphere, hoping to do at least some kind of damage. There was no visual change that would give him the clue he needed, but after he completely emptied the magazine, he heard a loud crack as if glass was damaged. The streams of fire immediately ceased to exist, as the gears returned to their previous state with speed Braylon thought impossible, followed by the two black halves sticking together.

The object lost its red glow after it successfully flew once again into the air. A brief humming noise could be heard as it quickly and without warning split into four smaller versions of itself, each sporting new patterns colored in blue.

"Oh shit."

This new set of patterns was even more complex. Two vertical circles. Between them, a third circle, irregular with dozens of branches randomly scattered and connected with the other two. The remaining sides were decorated with symbols so complex that it made his head hurt just by looking at them, such as five-dimensional cubes and triangles that were anything but a triangle. All four spheres positioned themselves in the corners as they began glowing blue. Braylon sprinted at the centre as each sphere released a massive electric burst below them.

He raised his head upwards as he noticed four circular shadows fastly approaching his position. For a moment he observed how each aura-like light connected with the other three as three spheres began circling around the remaining one that stood right above him. He quickly leaped away as an even more destructive blast shook the entire hive. It sent him flying against a wall as his Shield was completely depleted and still unable to absorb enough damage.

Every inch of his body hurt. From bones to muscles, he could feel tremendous pain despite having a pain reducing implant as well as a cationic insulator implant, which is supposed to increase the resistance of his Shield to electric attacks, infamous for having the ability to quickly deplete Shields. He watched from the ground, stunned and unable to move, as the spheres fused to form their original counterpart that once again descended to the ground.

Clenching his fists and teeth, Braylon tried his best to stand up, succeeding only in shaking his body like a leaf in the wind. No matter how much he berated himself, his body refused to cooperate. Closing his eyes, he mentally gave an order to his PDA to start creating and pumping his body with various drugs that would at least help him ease the pain, if nothing else. It beeped before executing the order as fast as it could.

As for the sphere, it once again performed its act of splitting in half, to reveal the core, or whatever that thing was supposed to represent. This time it was glowing blue, as Braylon thought it would. Even the attack was different; a continuous lighting bolt that aimed him and him only.

" _Come on! Come on, damn it!_ " He cursed mentally as the Shield slowly succumbed to the relentless attack. As the battery reached fifty percent, Braylon focused all his strenght into his arm in a seemingly futile attempt to move it. Almost seconds before he gave up, the arm started twitching before sliding across the ground and then finally moving completely. Immediately, Braylon went for his energy pistol, aimed lousily at the object and repeatedly pressed the trigger, watching as many bullets missed their target, with only few hits being successful. It was when the Shield's battery reached ten percent that his aim improved, as three hits out of four landed on the core.

The satisfying crack that his ears yearned for came so suddenly that he barely noticed. He saw as the blue sphere started leaking some black fluid from several spots, before his view was obstructed from the gears. Smiling to himself, he used the time it took for the object to ascend for his needs, which currently consisted of rising from the ground and pestering the voice to spawn another ammo case.

In the end, he got his wish, right as the blue patters dissapeared. The black crate appeared in front of him. To his relief, it contained the very thing he asked for. Six unmodified grenades. He would use them next time.

First there was red, then there was blue, now it was yellow. The patterns themselves were complicate beyond reason. Braylon had no idea what were those supposed to mean, but he did, however, noticed two square-shaped spirals staring down on him, likely to symbolize eyes, or that was his hypothesis.

Two cylindrical pyramids formed on each side. A yellow laser beam was shot out from each pyramid, went for the walls, caused an explosion upon contact, then bounced off, repeating the proces for three more times. This resulted in a panic attack for our Vault Hunter, who thought that, despite only few beams actually trying to hit him due to their unpredictable ability, the one to suffer was the cave-room that shook violently as if struck by an earthquake. Curiously, in all three shots, six laser beams in total, never once did a beam go towards the sender.

" _It is trying to bury us both!_ " Braylon rolled away from a rock that was close to land on his head. As the final beams ceased to bounce off the walls, the pyramid-like constructs sunk into the sphere. That was the first wave of attacks.

The second wave started off with the object creating a yellowish aura around itself. After that, it immediately shot itself towards a wall faster than a bullet. The contact caused a loud and powerful explosion.

" _That thing has gone crazy!_ " Braylon yelled mentally as he fell to the ground due to the earthquake that shook the place, only to jump up and hide behind a large rock as the sphere bounced away from the freshly-made crater and somewhere close to his position. Thankfully, the explosion buried him under a small pile of rocks that protected him from even more devastation. He refused to leave the pile as long as he heard explosions going off in the whole cave-room.

" _Is... is it over?_ " He blinked. " _I wonder what is going on..._ " He removed the rocks from himself and jumped out from the hiding spot.

There was the sphere, right at the centre of the severely-punished lair. Braylon blinked as he got a better view of the chaos around him. Craters filled the room from the floor to the ceiling. What remained of the preserved Sturg was now a pile of shattered obsidian rocks. His attention turned back to the object as it started forming a tiny yellow orb under itself, which became bigger and bigger until it reached the size of a car. The orb detached from its maker and landed below, causing an explosion that raised dust all around. Braylon swore loudly as he saw eight smaller orbs jumping into air and scatter everywhere around the room, thus turning into smaller explosions. One landed right near his legs and sent him flying into the obisidian remains. Something that he immediately used as a cover for the next two repetitions.

" _This place is a mess.._ "

Truly, what remained was nothing that would resemble the room of the Sturg matriarch, or perhaps patriarch. Even the dust refused to settle down. The obsidian remains were tougher than anything present, so they survived mostly intact. Key word being mostly.

At last, he saw the object descending. The opportunity that he was waiting for. Its core was once again revealed to the world, now yellow in color and still oozing that black liquid. Braylon raised an eyebrow, waiting for the attack that should happen any time soon.

" _Why it didn't-_ " A yellow beam directed at him from the core stopped his line of thought. Instinctively, he jumped towards the top of the pile to avoid getting blasted. As if on clue, the not-so-small beam, while missing him entirely and smashing the wall, still had enough force to send him flying towards the desired location.

He stood up, looking at the impact zone of the beam. His jaw dropped when the only thing he was able to spot was a massive hole in the wall that stretched for so long that the only thing he could see was blackness. Braylon turned his head just in time to see another beam going at his direction. He was few seconds too late to jump away unharmed, so he crossed his hands in front of his face as he took a small, yet powerful, portion of the attack, while the remaining part was busy drilling what would later be his exit from that rocky prison.

* * *

Jaune couldn't believe how lucky he was. Or rather, how unlucky he was. It strongly depended on the point of view, really.

So there he was, meeting this girl called Pyrrha, which became his partner through rather humiliating circumstances. And next thing he knew, he found himself running away from a gigantic Deathstalker. You know, those things born from nightmares and children tears.

His eyes, which completely weren't watery because he was crying by the way, dared not to look behind him. The demented screeching was enough nerve wracking on its own. Still, he had to see it, maybe he would also see his new friend Pyrrha. Yep, there she was, just few meters behind him with the oh-my-god-the-horror Grimm trying to impale her with its yellow prayed to whatever deity up there to gift him and the girl with a miracle that would get rid of the Grimm forever.

Then the earth shook.

And when we say shook, we really mean it.

In fact, it shook so violently that the Grimm stopped chasing the two just to see what could possibly cause the earthquake. Well, it soon got the answer in the form of a giant yellow beam to the face. And it didn't stop there, because the beam kept going, pulverizing several trees as well, until it had a clear view of the blue sky above.

Jaune stopped running and gawked at the sight. The Grimm was no more. Not even a chunk was left behind. It simply vanished into thin air. All that remained was one huge smokey crater.

"T... thanks?" He mumbled to himself before the girl crashed into him. "Ow!"

"Sorry!"

* * *

Braylon landed on one of his knees. The last attack was absorbed by the Shield, but it still hurt beyond reason. He barely dodged the last beam. Should an attack like that happen again, the probability of him surviving would drop to zero.

" _I have to finish this! Now or never!_ "

He materialized Orphan Maker and ran towards the object. It probably realized his intention because it fired a smaller and weaker beam at his feet, seemingly unable to conjure a powerful version of the attack. Braylon jump-rolled sideways and kept running, reaching his target in short time. His Orphan Maker boomed, followed by glass cracking. As he placed two new shells into the shotgun, he also materialized two grenades and threw them at the core just as the gears piled around it.

The Vault Hunter ran away as the object ascended once more, removing all patterns from its surface. Several distant explosions could be heard as the object trembled slightly. The blackness that shrouded the object in mystery and eeriness faded into nothingness, leaving behind one large, grayish sphere with hundreds of lines carved on its surface. The sphere shook violently as an unseen force erupted from the object in the form of several large holes that now damaged the intricate surface, comparable only to a volcanic eruption. It landed into the crater below, a result from its previous attacks, black smoke and fluid erupting from the holes.

As for Braylon, he fell on his knees, trembling as exhaustion and lack of adrenaline got the better of him. He was happy that he managed to overcome yet another obstacle, but he also knew that it was far from over. After all, he had an initiation to pass.

If only he could move his tired legs, that is.

* * *

 **So M1rzaTheBroJo brought up an interesting point** **that I wanted to talk about but always failed to remember anything about it. Thing is, I will treat this story sorta like rpg/anime,** **in a sense that there will be times where several chapters will fall under one arc, with some filler chapters or whatever. I will try to make them short, but I cannot promise anything, much like the shipping stuff, mostly because I am not a person you want for writing romantic stuff. If that bothers you, then I am sorry but, to put it eloquently, deal with it. I (probably) mentioned already that this story definitely won't be for everyone. Some won't like the violence, others the fact that there is an OC, others my writing style and that is completely OK. But make no mistake, this story will be written the way I see fit.**

 **Also, speaking of arcs, I will probably try to end the current one with the next chapter.**

* * *

 **Guest: You need to pay more attention to details. As for the second part, well, I was planning one long-ass arc for the first fic where the plot would end up on Pandora as an, I think, arc that would connect Volume 3 and 4 of RWBY with the fic. Something like that.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

* **Entry #32:** Sturg – Hive Guardian

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Insect

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _These guys are no pushovers. If I were to judge by the behavior and appearance, I would say that this subspecies was meant to take the role of something between a soldier ant and a living shield. Now that I think about it, the whole Sturg species kinda does share some of the ant characteristics, at least from what I've seen up to now, although I fail to make heads or tails out of their roles. Also, their horns are conductors which is a problem in itself. Must avoid at any cost._ " (Can deal Shock and Corrosive damage, increased resistance against normal and Shock-based attacks)

* * *

 ****Entry #33:** Dvořák the Anomaly

 **Type:** Riftspawn - Hero

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _I have no idea what I'm looking at. It seems and behaves like a machine and yet from what I've seen, there is no way it could even work. Its innards are just a bunch of gears put together that serve as another layer that protects, what I assume that thing was, the main core. All of it wrapped in one large sphere made of rock. But there is something that made me feel uneasy during the whole thing. The very first moment I saw it, I felt a chill all over my body. I couldn't even suppress it properly. It was like... it was like I saw something similar years ago..._ "


	13. Space Infantry

Jaune and his partner kept staring at the hole for quite some time. Both of them saw what happened and it left them speechless. Their first thought was to turn around and run as fast as they could, but their minds instilled a paranoid fear that, whatever caused that hole and killed that Grimm, would eventually come out and chase them. The unbearable fear slowly conquered their will, eventually convincing them to take out their weapons and prepare themselves for the imminent encounter. Never did they expect to see a person jump out from that smouldering mess, especially when they realized that said person, a boy, was yet another of many Beacon applicants.

"What are you looking at?" The person asked after both parties finished staring at each other. "Never saw someone jump out from a laser-induced hole?" They slowly shook their heads. "Geez. And you are supposed to be fighters...?" He murmured, walking towards them.

"W-wait..." Jaune struggled with words as the boy passed them. He turned around and gathered his bravery together. "Did you-"

"No. It wasn't me." The instant response made him slump forward. "It's dead though. Long story."

"Well, we have all the time in the world." Pyrrha pointed out as she began walking in the same direction as the boy, followed by Jaune.

"So?" The boy asked back as he moved through the bushes.

"So, you can tell us everything. In case we encounter something similar."

"No need to worry about that." He replied calmly. "And besides, why are you two following me? Aren't you partners?"

"We are... lost." Pyrrha admitted.

"And how is that my problem?"

She frowned, sensing the slight hostility coming from the boy. The thought was quickly removed away however. "My partner and I thought you knew the right direction..." She trailed off awkwardly and winced when the boy called her out.

"Really? I just came out of a hole. You know, in case you are blind and such."

"Hey now." Jaune immediately became defensive. "There is no need to be harsh towards my partner."

"Oh yeah?" The boy chuckled as he kept walking forward. "What you're going to do? Deliver justice?" He then turned around, stopping everyone. "Look, brat." He spat. "I'm sure you and battle-axe over there are fine on your own. So why don't you leave the adults alone? Really busy right now, you know?"

Pyrrha crossed her arms and frowned. "For someone who claims they are mature, you fail to act like it."

Braylon mock-gasped. "Man, muh feelings. They hurt." He then turned around. "But seriously though, go find a bush and fuck already. Just leave me alone."

They let the boy distance himself a bit from them before Jaune whispered to his partner. "I really don't like that guy."

"Neither do I." She sighed. "But such is life I guess. Besides," she turned to her partner and smiled. "he is not my or your partner, so everything is alright."

He replied with a smile of his own. That smile died as soon as everyone present heard a mighty roar in the distance. Even the boy stopped walking.

"Get ready." She warned her partner as her grip on her spear tightened. "Something is coming our way."

Jaune nodded and mentally prepared himself for any threat that would approach them. He briefly looked around, trying to spot anything enemy-looking. Then his eyes returned to the boy in front of them.

" _What is he doing?_ "

The boy looked around without any weapon in hands, seemingly exchanging facial expressions between worry and anger. His head turned to their right. Cursing loudly, he started running in the opposite direction just as Jaune started hearing a slight thumping noise. Even Pyrrha was alerted by his behavior.

" _Did he spot something?_ "

Jaune Arc was a dunce, or at least that was his opinion about himself. Whenever he tried to act either though or charming, he only ended up revealing his socially-awkward nature. Combined with his lack of self-esteem, it was a wonder that he ever got out of his house. But Jaune was no fool. When needed, he was able to realize things faster than others, especially when his life was on stake. He may be a coward, but he was a perceptive coward.

"Pyrrha...?" He asked slowly. "Do you hear that?"

Indeed, the thumping sound steadily grew louder and louder. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It reminded Jaune of the sound that animals with hooves make when their legs strike the earth. What bothered him was the fact that he heard more thump-thumps than it was natural. The only conclusion he could come up with was that, whatever came towards them, was not alone.

"Run!" Pyrrha suddenly shouted as she sprinted in the same direction as the boy. There was no point in denying the facts. She too saw the threat. Jaune first looked in her direction, then to the opposite side. What followed was a sight that Jaune would gladly remove from his mind when given the opportunity.

It was a Grimm, of the Boarbatusk type, no doubt about that. It was unnaturally big, perhaps bigger than the scorpion Grimm that chased them, and completely covered in white bone-like armor, exposing only few small fur patches on legs and belly. It had six eyes, one which had a scar, six legs, four ears and tusks so large that they were more akin to the horns of a ram, coated in golden yellow color. The trees that came in contact with its tusks exploded into bits as the beast continued its mad rush towards the target. *

He didn't even think about his next move. Thinking would mean death. Jaune turned around and ran, all in the blink of an eye. Panic kicked in only several seconds later, delayed by his reaction. It was somewhat far away from him, so he had a little bit of advantage. There was no doubt that the Grimm would catch him sooner or later, if he didn't do something. But what could he do, exactly? He couldn't fight it. He couldn't outrun it. He was stuck running forward, eventually meeting his death at some point. All that "Aura" stuff Pyrrha talked about only meant lots of pain before meeting his maker.

The legs hurt. The lungs hurt. He had to give up. Too much running. The Grimm was approaching him fastly. Before he knew it, the giant monster was ready to attack.

And that was when Jaune entered the world of explosions and pain.

* * *

Yang picked up two sounds and one of them even came with graphic effects. The first, and also the loudest, was an explosion that happened somewhere far away, yet she was able to see a brief flash that the trees failed to conceal. The second was that of someone screaming.

"Do you hear that?" Yang asked her partner, unsure if she would pick up the meaning of her words.

"Uh, Yang..." She replied by pointing a finger up. Yang followed and, to her surprise, saw Ruby falling down from the sky. Her landing was canceled abruptly when something smashed into her with such speed that Yang failed to catch it with her eyes. Her sister ended in a tree.

"Ruby!"

It was too late to do anything to help the little sister. Something else showed up, indicated by trees falling down. She could swear she saw two figures on top of an Ursa, a suspicion that received proof once one of the figures dissapeared inexplicably only to reappear near them, holding one of the chess pieces. It was a hyperactive ginger wearing pink and white clothes. A boy called her "Nora" and she replied with "coming, Ren".

Yang frowned. This was her chance to save her sister before something else happened. Something that could-

"I! Hate! My! Fucking! Life!" Shouted yet another voice as its owner appeared from the other side of the forest, followed by a girl with red hair. Things suddenly became more interesting when the trees were destroyed. But unlike with the Ursa situation, where trees fell down, in this one the trees either sailed through the sky or exploded into thousands of bits that polluted the already-ugly scenery. The one who commited such a brutally awesome act was perhaps the biggest Boarbatusk she ever saw. And with yellow tusks no less.

"Jaune!" The red-haired girl yelled as she and the boy jumped sideways, thus evading the Grimm's attempt to squash them like bugs.

"Did they-"

Yang's partner fell silent as the blonde fighter screamed in fury.

"Can everyone chill out for just two seconds?! Is that too much to ask?!"

"Weiss is falling!" Her sister informed everyone, much to Yang's chagrin."

* * *

The Boarbatusk snapped its head towards Braylon, ignoring the redhead. Of course, Braylon was the only one who know why that happened and the answer was carved in his skin. But he had to think fast and jump away again, as the creature seemingly jumped and headbutted the ground. The resulting explosion caused a small crater.

Cursing under his breath, Braylon jumped another time as the Boarbatusk repeated the same attack. He never expected for the Grimm to swing its head towards his direction as soon as the ground exploded. In no time he found himself flying and smacking the ground like an asteroid. It hurt with all the Shield.

"Great! The gang's all here! Now we can die together!" He heard a voice commenting sarcastically despite all the ringing in his ears as he tried to stand up and failing several times. "Not if I can help it!" Replied another. "Ruby wait!"

" _Man, remind me why I hate my life._ "

After the fifth attempt, Braylon went back on his feet. But unlike other applicants, which he barely noticed, he inspected the ruins, where several chess pieces stood on top of small columns.

" _So this place must be the objective, from the looks of it._ "

Only then did he bother to acknowledge the exsistence of others and his first mental comment was about their vibrant colors and how those hurt his eyes.

" _And these should be the next generation of "Huntsmen"? Someone has a good sense of humour._ "

Hearing a screech that only a bird or bird-like thing could emit, Braylon blinked several times before swinging his head left and right, trying to identify the source. He could practically hear his brain snapping like a twig when he saw a massive bird-like Grimm floating in the air and throwing dozens of feathers at the ground like weapons shooting bullets.**

" _Son of a bitch. Are you serious? Giant birds and boars? Come on now. First time it was funny. Now it is just annoying._ "

And just when he thought that the situation couldn't become more critical and bizzare, he saw, in the distance, a flying dot. Strangely, the dot seemed to reflect light.

Placing a hand above his eyes, the Vault Hunter tried to see what was the object exactly. Then, his PDA warned him about something he actually never thought it would. At least, not in the current reality.

 **Warning. Unidentified flying object flying at 3.2 times the speed of sound towards the user's direction. Warning. Transmission detected. Playing transmission.**

 **"** **Five-one, five-one, this is Condor seven-five, I'm picking up a strange signal. Sending a sample."**

 **"...Holy fuck! That is him! We found him! But how... nevermind! Condor seven-five! Engage the bastard! I want that son of a bitch dead!"**

 **"Copy that, five one. Engaging the target."**

* * *

Ruby felt, no, she knew she could help, which is why she ran towards the Grimm without any strategy whatsoever. Her heroic attitude took a drastic turn once she found out that her weapon failed to get past the armor. The fact that the flying Grimm blocked her with one of its feathers did nothing to soothe her growing panic. Before she knew it, the Boarbatsuk charged straight for her, an attack that was only stopped by a wall of ice created by Weiss.

Saying that it stopped the attack is oversimplifying what actually happened. The Boarbatusk, instead of hitting Ruby, hit the wall and destroyed it effortlessly. It gave her partner enough time to free Ruby from the feather. And while Ruby knew that Weiss wanted to scold her, it would certainly happen later after the problem was solved. She wanted to kill the Grimm but now she realized that doing it alone would be close to suicide.

However, before anyone knew it, she saw the Boarbatusk giant falling to its left side and dying. Actually, she first felt a rather powerful gust of wind and then the Boarbatusk fell. Just like that.

"Huh?" Ruby voiced her current thoughts, just like Weiss.

"...What just happened?" The white-haired girl asked nobody in particular. "Wait, Ruby!"

Ruby didn't listen. She needed to see why the Grimm died so suddenly and, seemingly, without any apparent cause. When she came closer, she saw several smouldering holes in the Grimm's body. Whoever (she was sure one of the soon-to-be-friends did it) killed it was using energy-based weaponry, as there was not a single drop of blood present.

She heard an echoing thud. Quickly raising her head, she saw the bird Grimm, now lifeless and missing a good portion of its body, several meters away from her and her partner.

The next thing she heard could only be described, in her words, as a "Vrooom!" or "Vooosh!"

* * *

No introduction was necessary for Braylon. He knew exactly what he was dealing with. As soon as the PDA warned him of the incoming aircraft, he quickly materialized Ajax's Spear and prepared for the worst case scenario. The approaching object would complicate his life far more than he wanted to. His cover would be blown before he could even use it properly.

As the Boarbatusk was ready to strike the girl in red, there came the aircraft and landed several laser shots that quickly bypassed its armor while at the same time firing several mini rockets that took care of the bird Grimm. All of it happened with such velocity that everyone else could only pick up the sound of the engines coming closer only to go far away.

"Uh... what?" Was somebody's response. Braylon didn't care who voiced their thoguhts, for he had different problems occupying his mind. He decided to go for a "half-truth".

"It was an aircraft!" He yelled suddenly, gaining everyone's attention?

"Aircraft? Here?" The girl with a bow asked.

"Probably trying to help us." He lied. "Maybe the staff of Beacon thought it was far above our level."

"Ha! Yeah right!" The blonde snorted. "We could totally kick their butts if we wanted to!"

Braylon only frowned in response. The aircraft in question was something that, back in his reality, was called RaumKampfjet Mark V, or RKV for short. *** A type of vehicle that was massively produced by the Dahl corporation due to its efficiency in both space and planetary warfare. Bulky, yet lightweight enough to fly at high speeds. Interestingly enough, the RKV belonged only to Dahl's private army for obvious reasons. When in war, every advantage is a must. But for Braylon, that advantage now meant a big problem. He doubted anything in his current arsenal was powerful enough to deal some serious damage. But who said he had to fight it alone...

As suspected, the RKV returned to group's location. Its design immediately made everyone suspicious.

"That... doesn't look like a Bullhead..."

"What is that?"

"Ren! Maybe that is an alien spaceship!"

"Nora, please-"

(Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – RK V theme)

The aircraft fired two rockets at the group without any warning. Luckily everyone, including Braylon was fast enough to run away before they exploded.

"What the heck?!" The blonde shouted. "What was that for?!"

Seeing an opportunity, Braylon jumped in. "I think that the pilot is not on our side!"

"But why though?!"

"Beats me! Look out!"

Braylon knew that he was the actual target, not the others. This was the reason why he tried to get close to someone else, so that his lie receives further proof. And so he reached a the blonde and the girl with the bow. The pilot wasted no time and fired two more rockets, which were easily evaded as the group split apart. Not that it mattered anymore. He got what he wanted.

The loud sound of gunfire caused everyone to turn their heads to see the girl in red firing from her weapon. It wasn't very effective but it did draw the pilot's attention, who replied with a laser barrage. Her partner, the girl in white, summoned a barrier of pure ice to defend them both. He had to ask her how she did that.

But back to the fight, the lasers, as predicted, pierced right through the ice, but at least the pilot had no clear shot of them.

 **"Sir, target has allies."**

 **"Typical. Take them down."**

 **"Copy that."**

He silently thanked his PDA for spying on the conversation while also smiling to himself. Others will act as a perfect cannon fodder for him to take the aircraft down, as evidenced by the ginger girl shooting grenades and her partner firing with two pistols. The RKV suddenly dissapeared as it took off. A sign that it was about to bombard the area.

Waiting for everyone to gather together, the group, due to Braylon's convincing arguments, ran further into the ruins, leaving behind the forest as the aircraft appeared again, dropping a miniature nuclear rocket.

"Whoa!" The blonde near him yelled as her head turned slightly to see the explosion. "That was close!"

"Yeah!" Braylon replied just to say something. "And if we don't do something, we are all screwed!"

The group split into three smaller teams. Braylon, Ruby and her partner hid behind the first column they found. He didn't bother to see where others went.

"My sweetheart didn't do anything." Ruby calmly replied as she and Braylon, accompanied by others, fired few shots at the approaching vehicle, only to return back to cover as lasers zoomed dangerously close to their heads.

"Fuck!" Braylon cursed.

"Language!" Botrh of the girls replied simultaneously.

"We were almost fried by those lasers and our guns are ineffective... why do you care about my language?!"

"Weiss! Can you throw me towards that thing?!"

Braylon, as much as he wished to smash his head against the column, decided to act calm just so he could listen about the "strategy". Maybe he could learn some valuable information?

"Of course I can, you dunce!"

What happened next was so ridiculous, so inexplicable, that might as well be considered a stage act rather than a true strategy. An utter mockery of reality was about to happen, and Braylon had to be the audience for only God-knows-what time.

It all started when Ruby jumped out of her cover, going against all logic and reason in the universe. Then, the redhead tossed her spear, a weapon she didn't have before, at the aircraft, which dodged it with ease. This in turn allowed the white-haired girl to perform some kind of sorcery that would toss Ruby into the air and straight at the RK V with the efficiency of a cannon. Rather than land on it, the girl transformed her weapon into a scythe and sliced one of the engines. The ginger with the grenade launcher jumped on top of the redhead's shield and propelled herself upwards with a method known as a "rocket jump", a method that can only be achieved in videogames and poorly written works of art mind you, turned her launcher into a war hammer and slammed the thing on the other engine. And the most mind-boggling thing to Braylon was the fact that the RKV could all dodge it with ease by accelerating, yet it went with such speed that allowed this comedy to happen in the first place.

" _My brain is full of fuck right now..._ "

While it wasn't enough to outright destroy it, the damage on the engines meant that the RKV would be slower than usual, opening whole new possibilities and attacks.

The blonde jumped from a column and shot herself at the spaceship. He didn't see what exactly happened but he could hear shotguns going off and glass cracking.

And now for the final blow. When the blonde jumped down, the girl in black used some kind of a long ribbon to make a slingshot with the columns, allowed Ruby to jump on said ribbon and, once again with the help of White's sorcery, shot herself at the RKV, sliced it enough to cause serious damage and jumped down using unnecessary acrobatics that would only be useful in a circus. The RKV, now damaged beyond repair, decided to retreat, leaving behind a group of very euphoric teenagers, minus Braylon who stood some good fifteen meters away from them, first slackjawed, then cursing as much as he could.

We apologize if you failed to understand any of it. We simply decided to give you an image based on Braylon's point of view, who was so confused that the word itself might be an understatement.

"Almost twenty full minutes of bullshit!" He waved with his hands as he paced back and forth. "Twenty fucking minutes of God-tier bullshit! What the fuck!? You! What was that shit?!"

" _That, mortal, is what happens when worms like you learn how to weaponize their souls._ "

"...You are fucking with me, are you?"

" _But of course! What, you thought I would simply give you the answer you want? Am I a dog?_ "

Braylon, still enraged, stared at the cheering group. They were either laughing, talking or hugging each other.

" _It is true, however, that they know more about the mortal soul than your reality. Simply a side effect for having a threat they were not able to eradicate from the beginning. You can thank Anathema for that._ "

"Huh..." Braylon's frown slowly turned into a smirk. "Wait... I can use this to my advantage."

He realized that, thanks to their "effort" he hid his true self from their eyes, meaning that his cover was still very much alive. Now it was time to act dumb and pretend he was just another average mortal, so he returned to the group with a big smile on his face.

"Wow, guys! That was so cool!"

"I know right!" The blonde smiled. "We are the coolest kids in Vale!"

" _How humble._ "

"Yeah! We totally kicked butt!" Ruby replied. "But we still don't know why it attacked us though."

"Bah!" Braylon waved his hand, ignoring the stares he got from the redhead and the blond knight. "It was probably one of those bad guys we met back in town."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I mean, we did stop them. So it is only natural to think they came for revenge."

"Huh, I guess..."

"Come on now, everyone." Braylon said. "Let's go. We still need to take those chess pieces and return to the headmaster."

* * *

"...so now you are a "student", huh?" Claptrap asked as he rolled beside Braylon.

The Vault Hunter didn't answer immediately. His mind went back to when they completed the objective. Beacon's headmaster decided to gather the whole school so that everyone could see the birth of four-student teams that would remain such for all four years. When it came to his turn to be assigned to a team, everyone found out that he was the only one who lacked in teammates, because those who survived were already members of one. His position meant that the headmaster gave him a unique role. He would stay in his private room, yes, but when going into missions, he would become a temporary fifth member of a team. Obviously, Braylon had the freedom to choose which missions should he go on and such. Not that he really cared, as being a student wasn't his objective, but he knew that the staff would get suspicious when they would find out that he hadn't done one single job since he came into the school. He became a bird trapped in an open cage.

"I guess." Braylon shrugged as he placed both his hands behind his head.

"How's the feel?"

"Weird. I never went to school, not that I need one anymore. It feels like I skipped several years of my life and immediately went to college."

"Yeah, a shame that you lost all the teenage drama and ****." The robot replied sarcastically, much to Braylon's annoyance. "Hey, looks like we arrived."

"So this is my room." Braylon pointed out as he opened the door. He whistled. "Wow. It is large."

"And has four ****ing beds!" Claptrap squealed as he jumped on top of one. "Real ****ing beds! Has science gone too far?!"

Braylon grunted as he closed the door. "Well, you do whatever you want." He knew that the robot stopped listening him as soon as it started jumping on the bed and laughing like a small child. "I'll get some rest."

Claptrap stopped jumping to look at Braylon. "Wow. Way to ruin all the fun, party-breaker."

"It's night. The day was shitty. I need to sleep."

"Sure, sure. Whatever."

The Vault Hunter gave a mental order to his PDA to form a cocktail of sleeping drugs and to restore his body while he was sleeping. The device beeped and he closed his eyes.

" _And now with the nightmares._ "

* * *

 **Factions:**

 **1)** Dahl Corporation - " _Dahl Corporation. So many things can be said about it and most of them are bad. Where do I even start? It was founded a century ago by_ _Stanton Dahl. What was then a simple entrepreneurial dream quickly turned into a multi-conglomerate who specializes in producing guns for "professional mercenary", basically meaning they are jack of all trades but masters of none, save for the recoil which is almost nonexsistent. It is currently one of the major corporations locked in a war for power over the others. And just like the others, it treats its employees and tools as expendables. Case in point: Pandora and Elpis. They are the only reason why those shitholes have humans in the first place. Now they set their sights on the Vault that started all of this. I cannot even imagine what would they do if they learn what it truly is._ "

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #34:** Blasttusk Spinebuster

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _Since Grimm do not really fit into the living category, yet are immortal, their bodies can take various shapes and sizes, depending on the circumstances. It is no secret that some can develop mutations that can make them deadlier as a result. As far as I care and know, there might be individuals or even whole subtypes that are as old as mankind. Remember, I said that they are useless to us but still a threat to mortals. They don't follow biological rules or any other type of rules that applies to you. You will definitely find worst specimens._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #35:** Nevermore

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _One of many subtypes capable of flight. And the tamest one at that. I am serious. Compared to others, these ones are tamer than those slave animals you call "pets". The trick with their feathers is rather simplistic as well. Each feather is placed so delicately in the skin that covers the body efficiently and yet it can_ _be_ _removed with a slight movement of wings,_ _only to regrow almost instantly. The bigger the specimen, the bigger the feathers, the bigger the threat. They outlived their purpose, however, as we made them only to see if we could make subspecies that could fly._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #36:** RaumKampfjet Mark V

 **Type:** Construct

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _I feel like I am missing something. Something big. How did they find me already? And in this reality? Is there a whole spaceship waiting to kill me hidden somewhere on Remnant? Well, whatever. It just means I will have more work to do than I previously thought._ "


	14. First Day of School!

(Grim Dawn – Malmouth)

Being unable to sleep at night made Braylon both angry and uncomfortable. While everyone else around him would fall blisfully into the dream realm, he was forced to spend his time on gear maintenance or other equally-boring activities. But that night things took a drastic turn. That night, Braylon was able to fall asleep without the haunting memories or voices screaming in his mind.

And there was a benevolent dream included too. One of those dreams that make sleeping a blessing in disguise. Braylon found himself sitting near a lake, with a wooden cabin on his right. A thick wall of trees encircled the place while countless stars shone brightly in the sky for few seconds, only to get replaced by other newly-formed stars and so on. It was a sight that reminded Braylon of that lake he encountered before reaching the undead-infested village. The big moon reflected its shape on the water of the lake, as did Braylon's.

There was absolute peace in that dream. A peace that couldn't be broken by anything. There were no gunfights, no bandits, no demons, nothing. Just him and nature. Such a pleasant place was impossible to find on Pandora, only on tropical or milder planets scattered in the galaxy. Most of them are so beautiful that they quickly became tourist attractions as soon as they were discovered. Naturally, such a process quickly meant the immediate construction of hotels and other tourist traps. Who had money, had the power to live a carefree life.

He could live a carefree life too. Money in his pockets was practically endless or at least enough to last a lifetime. Yet he rejected such lifestyle and dedicated himself on being a Vault Hunter, a job once thought simple, that turned quickly into a source of traumas and nightmares. His life revolved around guns, jobs and payments. But it was also true that, thanks to that job, he was able to visit unique places and gather once-in-a-lifetime experiences that shaped and built him both physically and mentally. It was dangerous, without a doubt, but somewhat worth it.

What troubled him though, even in a calm dream, was the constant reminder carved on his hand. It was still present, he couldn't escape from it. He knew all to well what that meant, but it was his only way to set things back to normal. At least he thought it was.

" _If only I could_ _find better help..._ "

It amazed him how the dream felt real. Almost as real as reality itself. He could breathe, blink, think. He supposed it was far better than being unable to control it. The breeze that became slightly stronger interrupted his chain of thought as did a column of light that seemingly came from the heavens just to illuminate him. It didn't took him long to realize that the light came from the moon, which now had a large black pupil stuck on its face.

"What the..."

That pupil was what set off the alarm bells in his head. Was something invading his dream? There was only one way to find out; waiting. He did and, much to his anger, it turned out to be true. It really was an invader, which made itself visible by stacking large yellow bricks around the eye, forming a pyramid. A brief flash later, the invader was finally formed. And its form was the most unnerving simply because it was too bizzare.

"I think I know a guy!"

A yellow pyramid with an eye wearing a tiny black hat and a bow tie.

"What."

The pyramid reduced its size and descended down to Braylon's level.

"Well, well, well! Look what we have here!" It said cheerfully. "You don't really see people coming out of that hole everyday, am I right? Name's Bill Cipher, by the way."

Braylon took a step back. That sentence made him even more wary, since it implied things that he really had no desire to deal with at the moment.

His reaction annoyed it. "Relax pal, will ya? I am not a degenerate like them. Come on, I wear a hat and a bow tie! Show some respect please!"

"Why are you here? What do you want from me?"

"Oh, you know... I was supposed to be a secret boss fight for you to get cool stuff but... that won't happen anytime soon." It said with a smug tone, then clapped its hands together before Braylon could even process what he heard. "So!" He jumped slightly, thinking that "Bill" was about to attack him. "About your question. I bet you think "what does this handsome triangle want from me", right?" It flew behind him. "I've been keeping an EYE ON YOU" Bill's voice became so loud and deep that took Braylon off guard. "and all I want from you... is a favor."

"Favor? Why?"

Bill rolled his eye. "Don't play dumb with me. You stirred up quite a huge nest. Not many can do that, I tell you."

Braylon gulped. The situation became worse by the minute. How much time will it take for another entity to appear just to abuse him for their personal plans? Bill formed a glass filled with some red liquid then threw it towards the eye, which inexplicably turned into a mouth before becomeing an eye again.

"The point is, I like you. You have potential to achieve greatness and in right hands, you could practically do everything."

"No thanks. I already met one." Braylon frowned as he raised the hand where the carved symbol was. "I don't need more trouble."

Bill only laughed in response. "Boy, you sure are a funny guy! Honestly? I don't think you even realize what you're in for."

"Don't forget who defeated your brothers back in that cave and village."

"Ha! Right, you "defeated" them." Bill made air quotes with his fingers. "Please tell me, what's the name of the one who gave you that?"

Braylon was about to answer but then he realized that he had no answer at all.

"See? You don't even know with whom you made the deal! Now that is what I call a rookie mistake!" Bill then formed a document. "With me, things are different. My words are the law. You can trust me."

"As if I would ever trust a demon."

"Oh, the irony." Bill shrugged. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. Now excuse me, there is a midget who is trying to summon me to his world. Toodles!"

The triangle-shaped entity clapped its hands. And just like that, Braylon found himself staring at the ceiling.

* * *

" _He woke me out from my own dream?_ " Braylon thought as he rose from the bed. The sun was already shining brightly in the sky. Even Claptrap was awake, busy with something he couldn't see. The robot noticed him and spoke.

"Morning."

"Morning." Braylon rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing there?"

"Making coffe."

"Coffe? With what?"

"Coffe machine, dumbass. Duh."

"And where did you get the coffe?"

"No comment."

Braylon stood up and began a quick exercise consisting mostly of squats and push ups. After the exercise, he reached the table where two mugs filled with coffe waited to be taken by someone.

"Why are there two mugs?"

"I drink too."

He deadpanned. "You are a robot."

As resposne, Claptrap opened its robotic "mouth". "*****, I have a mouth, you know?"

"That is a DVD player at best."

"At least my mouth isn't a benis holster."

Braylon picked up one mug and sniffed its steaming contents. "You didn't spike the coffe or, God forbid, put poison in it, right?"

"Who, me? Puah! You really think I would fall that low? For shame, fleshbag, for shame!"

"Good." He nodded. "Also because neither poison or drugs have no effect on my implant-enhanced body."

"...Mother****er."

The two began drinking their coffe, with Claptrap dumping the warm liquid into his "mouth", seemingly not bothering about damaging any important robotic parts.

"So..." Claptrap began. "How did you come on this crappy planet?"

"I... uh..." He wasn't sure if he should tell the truth to him but still decided to respond honestly. Hopefully nothing would go wrong. "We, you and I, are in another reality."

"...Say what?"

"I know, I lied to you, but before you start screaming, hear me out." He placed the empty mug on the table. "Listen, I... dunno how exactly you got here. What I do know is that I screwed up, big time. The whole multiverse is in danger."

"If you are feeding me bull****-"

"I don't. This is the explanation why you had no data about this planet. Because it is in another reality altogether."

"Is there... um... a way to go back?"

"No idea. If there is, I have to find it. Until then, we are stuck here."

Claptrap silently turned around, went to the bathroom and closed the door behind himself. Two seconds later, a long stream of loud, censored swearing could be heard from behind the doors. Braylon shrugged and checked his clothes.

"Time to become the average student..." He sighed as he opened the door while also reminding himself to keep the symbol on his hand hidden from sight. The first thing on his to-do list was to meet with neighbouring teams so they don't get suspicious when he suddenly dissapears to do his main objective. He approached the door on his left and knocked.

"Yes?" Answered none other than the blond whom he met during the initiation. He wore a neutral expression on his face, yet Braylon could clearly see that he wasn't really welcome.

"I, uh... hello neighbor! Heh..."

"Hello."

"Came by to meet with the neighbors."

"I see."

The situation became awkward faster than Braylon could predict. So he finished his conversation and turned around to face the second, and last, team that was near him. He heard loud bickering as he approached the door. He knocked twice but nobody responded, then he found out that the door was actually unlocked. Entering the room, Braylon received a pillow in the face as the bickering filled his ears.

(One Punch Man – One Day)

"Cut it out, princess!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"And you stop acting like you own everything! Otherwise, you'll get pillow'd once again!"

"...But the pillow missed her..."

"Yang Xiao Long, if you do that one more time...!"

Everyone turned to face Braylon as he coughed awkwardly in his fist. The first to respond was White, who pointed a finger at him.

"You! How did you get in here?!"

"Uh, the door was unlocked..."

"So you took it as a sign that you could burst in here? Just like that?"

"Maybe he came to watch our pillow fight? Boys love that."

"Ugh, Yang!" He heard Ruby squeak in protest.

"Uh, no. I just came to meet the neighbors. I'm Braylon."

As White crossed her arms and turned around, it was Red who came forward and bothered to reply. "Hey, you are the guy from Vale."

"Yep."

"I'm... uh..." She turned to the blonde who replied with a smile and a thumbs up. "...Ruby. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Braylon expected from Ruby to give him the names of her teammates, as dictated by good etiquette. Instead, the girl lowered her head and began twiddling with her thumbs.

"Well, oh dear team leader?" White turned around again. "Aren't you going to introduce us too?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes!"

"Um, the girl with white hair is Weiss... uh... t-that is-"

"I'm Yang! Ruby's big and awesome sister! Like what you see?"

Braylon could feel Ruby begging the earth below to open and swallow her. He had no idea why though, so he frowned.

"What is there for me to like seeing? This is just a room."

The one called "Yang" smiled even more. "Ha, you are such a tease alright!" She then placed her hands on her hips and struck a pose that would show him her breasts the most, which only made him even more confused. "Like them?"

"...Why would I be interested in seeing mammary glands?"

Everyone silently agreed to ignore Ruby's pathetic whimpering and desperate attempts to hide her head.

Yang's smile dropped instantly. "Oh... you are that kind of guy..." She sounded dissapointed for reasons unknown to Braylon.

"I'm Blake." The fourth girl said without moving her eyes from a book.

" _I need to get out of this room before I loose my mind._ Alright." Braylon clapped his hands together. "I see you started unpacking... so I bet you don't want anyone to bother you... I'm going now. Thanks, bye!" He slammed the door behind himself and let out a massive sigh of relief. " _For fuck's sake, these people are more insane than those on Pandora!_ "

Suddenly the door burst open, sending him tubling towards the opposite door, which also opened seconds later. He soon found himself on the ground, staring at the ceiling.

" _I hate this planet already._ " Holding his head, Braylon saw the two neighboring teams run down the hallway. " _Wait, are those uniforms? I have to wear fucking uniforms?!_ "

It was his turn to whimper pathetically.

* * *

" _So this is what a classroom looks like._ "

Braylon stared in awe as he sat on one of the chairs. Due to him having libraries upon libraries worth of knowledge, there was no need for him to go to an actual school. He couldn't go even if he wanted, because most citizens of Pandora were illiterate, so unless one had a family member who was willing to teach others, there wasn't other way to educate yourself. Opening schools was out of the question, since they would end in the same way as the orphanages. In flames.

He wondered what would they learn in that class. If there was something he already knew, he would most likely be bored to death. But when he looked closely at certain objects in the room, that thought quickly moved away. There were several depictions of Grimm, some of which he encountered and fought while some were completely unknown to him, a blunderbuss with a double-bit axe acting as the stock and a golden bust of a man he didn't know, although he felt that was how the professor looked like.

" _Geez. Talking about having an ego the size of a God-damned blimp._ "

(Gintama – Prince Hata)

Everyone became quiet as a plump man with a large moustache appeared in the classroom. He silently walked until he reached his table, took a good look at everyone present and began talking.

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names."

Braylon suddenly felt like he was robbed of any will to live and not just to learn. Something in the professor's voice caused a wave of agony to spread through his being. It was impossible to avoid the devastation. His only defense against such a tactic was to act calm and interested in the lecture. The fact that most students around him boldly announced their current mood did nothing to ease the pain. Ten minutes of heroic endurance later, Braylon gave up and focused on his PDA.

While the professor kept talking, the Vault Hunter connected his device to Remnant's version of ECHOnet to search for anything that would tell him more about Huntsmen in general. One website explained in detail things that locals referred to as "Aura", "Semblance" and "Dust".

Aura, for all intents and purposes, was a primitive version of his Shield. To clarify, an Aura is one of the two ways an individual's soul can manifest and be perceived by senses, which are limited when it comes to such phenomena. Each individual has a different Aura. As such, each Aura has specific strenghts and abilities, which can only develop through experience, training or just plain talent. However, every Aura manifestation shares same properties; forming a protective barrier around the user, increase the user's abilities and even affect weapons and armor, thus increasing their efficiency.

Like most things, Aura had its drawbacks. Its strenght degrades with use. The more damage its user suffers, the more Aura they have to deplete to protect themselves. Even if Aura can be recharged through time, it is a serious disadvantage during a fight. As for the weapons, Aura being capable of manipulating a weapon's usefulness implies that the firearms were built for those who could manifest Aura in one way or another. It also means that Remnant weapons were of lower quality than whatever he had in hsi arsenal, since his guns rely on either gunpowder or energy.

This brings us to the next point of interest, which is Dust. If there was one thing on Remnant, among many others, that made Braylon furious, was this substance. The first text he read talked about Dust as "Nature's Wrath", an energy propellant and even a natural resource that could be mined from earth, refined and then used for basically every piece of technology those people had. From aircrafts and cars, to weapons and clothing, Dust came in a variety of colors and properties. Red Dust could spontaneously combust, Yellow Dust was a natural battery and so on. It was marvellously versatile, yet limited to Remnant due to it becoming inactive when leaving the planet. In certain ways, it was very similar to Eridium which, thanks to his updated knowledge gathered from the recent events, made Braylon quite suspicious. He needed to go deeper with his research, which also reminded him of the weapon he took at the initiation.

"Are you ready? Start!"

Braylon's head rose to see what was happening. There was a Boarbatusk attacking Weiss and everyone just stood in their positions, watching the fight. The moustached professor limited himself to provoke the girl whenever she did something that he probably thought of as stupid. Weiss' weapon was a simple rapier, or "useless toothpick" as Braylon put it. Useless, because it did no damage whatsoever against the Boarbatusk's armor.

" _Stop getting sidetracked and concentrate._ " He scolded himself before reading further.

Last thing he needed to know was Semblance, the second manifestation of a soul. Unlike Aura, a defensive technique, Semblance was largely an offensive technique with main focus placed on superpowers. Yes, you heard correctly. Superpowers. We are going to leave it like that.

" _I hate this planet._ "

"...And remember, your next lecture will be held by professor Goodwitch at the arena, so that's where you need to go. Until next time, students!"

Braylon saw everyone standing up and heading for the door.

" _Wait, arena?_ "

* * *

 **This is where I will end the chapter. I wanted to include the arena part as well, but then it would be way too long and I am not really sure if you readers would like it. If you have no problems with it, then please write it in the comments. As always, feedback is appreciated and very much needed.**

* * *

 **M1rzaTheBroJo: First question, he probably will. Second, like I said, I cannot guarantee it. I once tried to write a romantic scene and it was really cringy. Third question; in the previous story, that part would have come soon, right after the last written arc was finished. I cannot tell much, since that part will still happen in this story.**


	15. Making a Name

Watching the blond knight failing miserably against his taller opponent cleared Braylon's mind of any doubts he had earlier about his opinion on the students. They were simply too unprofessional and untrained to go to the academy at his age. Such statements may sound narcissistic, but Braylon had years of combat experience under his belt. He fought in many circumstances, many different variables that changed in the equation, and he still came out on top. One can't really call swinging your sword and forgetting you are holding a shield a form of intensive training. It was a rookie mistake and the blond paid for it.

The fight in the arena, where they currently had a lecture with professor Goodwitch, was a very educational experience for Braylon. He learned the basics of what he needed to know. The large holographic monitors served to display the fighter's Aura reserves to the audience thanks to the devices called "Scrolls". How people from Remnant managed to measure such a phenomenon to the point of ripping off the health bar concept from every video game ever was a mystery to him. He also had to remind himself to see if he got any of those "Scroll" devices for himself. It was hard to remember such small details with everything that happened recently.

A constant thought creeped back into his mind no matter how much he tried to push it away. How exactly did the Dahl's private army found him across realities like that? Maybe it was a coincidence, but Braylon didn't believe in coincidences. Were they working with demons? Unlikely, since they are obsessed with total destruction of everything ever created. His third conclusion led him to believe that someone else, someone unknown to him, was responsible for that. Someone who had the power or knowledge to track his movement, even if said movement meant jumping across realities. One person instantly came up in his head but he dismissed it soon after.

" _No way he is alive this time. The bastard is done for good._ "

Braylon smacked himself mentally when he remembered he had a weapon that required urgent repairs for a second time that day. A new addition to his arsenal would be welcome, but it would also help him understand how the gun worked. The topic quickly changed to his growing fear of forgetting seemingly unimportant details and how it could impact him in the future.

" _I really need to relax. Damn stress is working on me._ "

He heard the professor speaking about something, so he decided to listen carefully. At least that one wasn't as boring as the first. "Everyone, the Vytal Festival is only months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdom start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing!..."

" _Ah, just some stupid festival. I don't have time for that._ "

The bell rang as people started going out from the arena. From what he heard listening to others, it was lunchtime. He was a bit hungry, no question about that, but he really wasn't going to try the local cuisine, lest they served him something unbearable to eat. Something even worse than Skag meat.

* * *

When Braylon sat down near Blake, as girls from RWBY invited him, he could only stare at the food he received. It was a sandwich with bread, meat and lettuce, that much he knew. What bothered him though was the meat part. While he did eat a a wide variety of food, since he used to travel out of Pandora, it was only a small portion of what humanity had to offer in terms of cuisine. Suffice to say, two thirds of galaxy's most famous dishes will never touch his lingual papillae and he wasn't bothered in the slightest.

He ate only when he really needed, due to the implant that improved his metabolism so that it could both drain every last drop of useful things such as vitamins and calcium while at the same time turning food into enough fuel for a whole week. While we can argue that such practice is unhealthy for the body, we need to remind ourselves that, on Pandora, the only way to find edible food was either by hunting animals, like Skags and Rakks, or by scavenging places in search for canned goods and both were equally dangerous activities. When translated to Braylon, it meant that he had one huge advantage over other humans, since he didn't have to eat every day like others. The same doesn't apply to thirst, unfortunately.

The problem became apparent once he started eating. He wouldn't stop until he ate enough to feed a small village. While his companions would most of the times find it either fascinating or disgusting, he didn't really care because he had a perfect reason to do it. His body wasn't the only one that required fuel, it was also his PDA. In fact, half of the food he consumes goes to the device, which is then used for a variety of purposes, such as creating medicine through nanomachines or sealing a wound or even to recharge the batteries. The only problem comes later, when Braylon is unable to move away from a toilet for at least half an hour.

But we digress, so we need to return to our story. Braylon took a bite of the sandwich and immediately recognized the taste of everything said sandwich contained. Bread and lettuce were pretty common in the galaxy so it wasn't anything new to him, but when his brain told him that the meat was that of a pig, despite him never seeing or tasting a pig in his life, he felt sick. Yet such occurrence was far too common to be normal, because it happened every single time Braylon tasted something new. Despite him never seeing a type of food, his brain wouldn't stop screeching about what said food was and how it tasted. He knew why that happened, but that is a another story for another time.

While he was aware that he was trapped in his own world of thoughts, worries and whatnot, his ears just so happened to pick up the conversation at the table. "Jaune, are you ok?" He heard the red-haired girl ask "Jaune", who was digging through his food as if trying to find a secret treasure. Braylon, meanwhile, stared at the food on his plate. "Huh? Oh, yeah, why?"

"It's just that you seem a little... not okay."

" _How perceptive._ " Braylon thought and smiled slightly.

Braylon was very much aware of Jaune's anxiousness. It was written all over his face, even if he tried to deny it. But Braylon wasn't interested in being someone's shrink. Rather, he saw it as an opportunity to begin their "friendship" from scratch. Hostile neighbors were always trouble that can be avoided.

"Jaune, Cardin is bullying you ever since we started school."

"Oh please. He never bullied me!"

"He stuffed you in a locker."

"...It was comfy to be honest..."

"Jaune, if you need help, you can always ask."

"Yes! Just say it and we will break his legs!" Answered the ginger.

Jaune stood up, ready to leave. "Guys, you don't have to worry about me at all. He is a jerk to everyone."

As if on clue, everyone turned their heads towards another table, even Braylon. There was a Faunus girl with rabbit ears, bullied by Cardin and his team. They mocked her as she gathered her plate and walked away, Braylon could see tears in those eyes as she passed by their table. He lowered his head.

"Atrocious. I can't stand people like him."

"He is not the only one."

" _And yet you do nothing to stop him._ " Braylon thought. This situation could be turned to his favor. If he beat the bully right there, his reputation would skyrocket, people would trust him and it would most likely help him find what he came for in the first place. At least, that was what an optimist would like to think. Braylon was no optimist. He knew that it would sooner or later come back to bite him. Without saying a word, he got up and went towards Cardin's team, leaving behind two confused teams. The demon, however, had something to say.

" _My, oh my. The absolute state of humanity. Fighting the war of lower lifeforms._ "

" _The guy and his team remind me of bandits. They deserve what I'm gonna do to them._ " Braylon curled his right hand into a fist.

The voice laughed. It was a distorted, high-pitched laugh, something that shouldn't belong to such a deep voice. " _Then go ahead, I won't stop you. But let me remind you that justifying crimes is one of the many reasons why mortals end up down here._ "

" _I am aware of that._ "

" _Then go, do it. It's not like you are going to see Anathema anytime soon._ " It laughed once more before going away.

"Hm?" The boy with brown hair noticed Braylon approaching them, so he turned around. "What do you want-ah!" Braylon placed his fist into the boy's face, throwing him to the table that cracked in half as his body dropped down. It served to warn the remaining three members of his presence.

"Muh nose!" The boy screeched through his hand-covered face. "He broke muh nose!" Even Braylon was surprised by the results, staring at his own fist. The faint laugh in the darkest corners of his thoughts was all the explanation he received.

"Dove! You alright man?!" The one with the mohawk, known as Russel, crouched near his partner. "Fuck! His nose is broken! The bastard broke his nose!"

Cardin and the last member turned to face Braylon, deadly serious. "Who the fuck are you?"

"You will apologize to that girl, right now."

"Huh? You dumb bastard!" The one with combed hair, Sky Lark, tried to act tough as he got closer to the Vault Hunter. "Don't talk if you can't back your words up!" Braylon, without any warning, uppercut Sky, knocking him down in front of Cardin's legs, unconscious. Cardin spat on Sky and stood up.

"Useless fucks..." He murmured before he adressed to Braylon. "You got a nice pair of balls there, pal." He nodded to Russel and Dove, whose nose was put back into its place, though whether it was completely healed or not was debatable, yet the blood was still present on his face and clothes. They got up, moved the tables and stood to Cardin's side, who cracked his knuckles."Let's see what they look like after I crush them to a pulp!"

Other students either fled or formed a circle around the soon-to-be fighters. Braylon failed to spot either RWBY or JNPR.

"Hmph." Braylon, expressionless, took a fighting stance. "Bring it on, then."

* * *

(Yakuza – The End of The Dogma)

"I don't even need my mace to kick your ass!" Cardin boasted as Dove and Russel spread to Braylon's left and right side, clearly attempting to find his blind spot. It was Russel who decided to begin the show by throwing a quick right punch. Braylon moved away and ducked under Dove's roundhouse kick, then quickly stood up and kicked him away so that he could deal with Russel.

Braylon blocked the flurry of punches and moved sideways when Russel tried to superman punch him. He grabbed the member of CRDL by the uniform and brought him closer to his face. Braylon's first attack was a headbutt that easily broke Russel's nose. Not satisified, the Vault Hunter repeated the attack two more times and tossed a barely conscious bully into the crow, not bothering to look how he landed.

"Is that all you've got?!" Cardin taunted while, coincidentally, standing as far away from Braylon as possible, who turned to Dove. The two stared at each other, exchanging their burning hatred that brew within them as the fight went on.

"Oooh... what..." Their eyes fell on Sky Lark, who lay near Braylon's feet, completely unaware of what was happening around him. "Back to sleep." Braylon said as he smashed Sky's head back to the ground with his leg. Sky Lark was once again unconscious.

"You ugly son of a...!" Dove cursed through his teeth, rage taking over his mind. The bully roared as he ran up to Brayloun, half-crouched and prepared his fist to uppercut Braylon. But his opponent countered by elbowing said fist, breaking several fingers in the process. Dove's screaming ended abruptly when Braylon returned the favor with an uppercut of his own. Even though Braylon was seriously handicapping himself, due to his fighting style and strenght, the uppercut was strong enough to lift Dove from the ground and making him drop to the floor like a sack.

" _Crap. Almost lost it right there._ " Braylon cringed, as did the audience, at seeing Dove's current state.

"Whatever!" Cardin tossed his hands up. "If you wanna do something right, you have to do it yourself."

"Finally decided to grow a pair when your lackeys are down?"

Cardin seethed and ran up to Braylon, who calmly waited for his opponent. Angered even further, Cardin's punch aimed Braylon's face. He never expected the Vault Hunter to grab his fist with his own hand. The team leader was surprised.

"Intimidation? Was that your move? Trying to intimidate me? Then let me tell you something."

Braylon crouched while still holding Cardin's hand and hit him between the legs with a punch of his own. Cardin's face contorted in pain as several boys from the audience cringed. The Vault Hunter didn't stop there, for he got up, headbutted Cardin, kneed in the stomach and punched him in the face. Cardin spun around and hit the floor.

"I fought shit while you were still sucking your mom's tits. A turd like you isn't even fit to blow me."

Unlike his comrades, Cardin was wriggling on the ground like a worm instead of taking the easy way out. However, Dove found the strenght to keep the fight going, so he got up, although barely.

"Hmpf. Looks like that gourd of yours is way tougher than I imagined. Guess it needs another lesson." Braylon said as he walked to the stunned boy whose legs barely had the strenght to hold their owner's weight. Even Sky Lark woke up, but his back was turned to them. Dove, who barely registered the Vault Hunter in front of him, smiled weakly as Braylon first jabbed him, then pulled back the other hand and delivered a brutal punch to the boy's head. Dove flew several meters back, crashing into his teammate Sky and both ending on the floor once more.

The fight ended and the audience cheered for the winner. It ended exactly as he expected. Now the other students should respect him more since he beat up bullies. It was also a clear warning to everyone who already planned to wrong him in any way. As he kept the stern face, he wondered about the damag he caused to CRDL. Thanks to Aura, they will probably be hospitalized for a short time. However, he knew that it wouldn't be the last time when he would see their faces, because now he became their nemesis for making fun of them in front of everyone else.

Braylon returned to reality when the excitement and happiness died down with the same speed they appeared. The rythmic clicking behind him was a sign of trouble. He sighed and slowly turned around. There, between the split audience of students, stood one angry professor Goodwitch.

"I sincerely hope you have an explanation for your actions, mister Braylon."

He looked left, then right. "Professor Goodwitch, these people bullied a Faunus girl and nobody has moved a finger to stop it, not even the professors. For an institution that propagates equality among humans and Faunus, this lack of alertness sure is shocking, don't you agree?" Not only he successfully managed to guilt trip everyone who heard that, but his bold accusation of Beacon's staff left Goodwitch speechless for a moment, before she regained her composure.

"That is... correct." She moved her spectacles. "I agree. Something must be done to solve this problem. Beacon Academy won't tolerate abuse of any kind. Still, I must ask you to follow me to the office."

What little free time remained was spent on moving CRDL to the infirmary and preparing for the next class. For Braylon, it meant gloating about his victory more than he had any right to do... and a brief session with Beacon's harshest disciplinarian.

* * *

Compared to "the talk" with Goodwitch, which was really her criticizing him for good twenty minutes, the history class was relatively calm. Its professor, a man with green hair and a crippling addiction to coffe, truly the only two things noteworthy on him, as Braylon would say, adressed the problem of human and Faunus relationships through history, something about a battle at a fort, with such a speed that at least served to keep Braylon from falling asleep just to process the storm of information that left his mouth. Not unlike Jaune, who was the exact opposite and ended up seeing the professor after class.

From that point onward, Braylon stopped caring about RWBY or JNPR or even the Faunus, whom he considered to be creepy beyond measure thanks to their "additions" and instead walked back to his room. He kept his kind-hearted facade through the whole day and it made him tired. But work had to be done and his first task was to repair the gun he took at the initiation. An extra weapon was always welcome in the hands of a Vault Hunter.

Beacon Academy had one place that was always open for students. A place where they could take care of their equipment and experiment with newest tech on the market. It was even encouraged by professors to make a visit at least twice a month to "expand their knowledge" about combat and develop effective strategies when dealing with Grimm. It was dubbed "the Forge" for those exact reasons.

Braylon entered the Forge and was instantly met with a sight that would be all too common on Pandora. A large room, well lit, with machinery, posters and random weapons decorating the walls. Workbenches were scattered everywhere, filled with bullet casings or gun parts. There was also someone in the corner of the room, striking metal on an anvil like a blacksmith. A man with short gray hair, bald on the top, with a beard and a potty mouth. He was taller than Braylon and sturdy but seemed rather tame in comparison to some individuals he knew personally.

"Would you look at that," he spat "another kid that needs to fix his weapon 'cause he has no idea how to handle it properly." He dropped the hammer and went to place his hands on the counter between them. "Correct?"

The Vault Hunter showed him the damaged weapon. "I need to know what this gun can do." He saw the weapon in Braylon's hands and took it. "Its an energy one, kid. Uses Dust as ammo to vaporize the shit out of anyone dumb enough to stare at the barrel. From the looks of it, damn thing fires plasma."

" _Plasma? That could come in handy..._ I want to retrofit it."

"Come again?"

"I want to take that gun and modify it so that Dust becomes unnecessary."

"Boy... let me put it this way." He rubbed his eyes. "All tech you see around here has Dust in it for a reason. Everyone with half a brain knows how to use it. Why would you even think of that in the first damn place? Lemme guess. You wanna feel special?"

"Spare me of your comments and give me access to your machinery, old man."

"O really? And why would I wanna do that?"

Braylon took the Unforgiven from his holster and placed it on the counter. The old man looked down and grabbed the gun.

"This toy sure is heavy." He commented. "What's it made of?"

"Dustless material."

"No shit, detective. I can see that. A Dust-infused gun wouldn't be as heavy as a small brick." He checked the bullets. "And the firecrackers are differently designed too."

"Like I said. No Dust. Not even in bullets."

The man turned his gaze back to Braylon. "You know what that means, don't ya?"

"Enlighten me."

"You just gave me a god-damn gun that fires bullets not based on Dust. This is something that Remnant has yet to see. Don't tell me you come from the future."

"Now you saw with your own eyes. Are you going to let me use your tools or not?"

"I... I am at a loss of words there, boy. You also know how to make energy-based weapons like this gun?"

"Not a problem."

""Not a problem" he says. Arrogant turd."

After taking Unforgiven back, Braylon prepared himself for the hard work that was about to come. His PDA would make it somewhat easier, due to it having knowledge necessary to build such a tool. The manual labor was a whole another story. He had to be precise, methodical and most of all, concentrated. One tiny failure in measurements could result in a catastrophe.

"I need to see this shit."

"If you promise to keep your mouth shut. Now quiet, old man."

"Name's Gray."

"How original."

"Fuck you too."

* * *

Claptrap had a stroke of genius. Of course, whether or not Claptrap's ideas are brilliant or not is a matter of perspective. But for the robot, every idea he had could only be conceived by nothing short of a prodigy. That alone would serve as an explanation for why he lay on one of the beds surrounded with nothing but junk. Things like scrap metal, empty batteries and broken hard drives made up most of the objects in Claptrap's reach.

He had spent most of the night trying to assemble his project out of mentioned materials. Even though a Claptrap's skill is questionable, his intelligence and creativity were not, or at least not so much. Claptrap knew that the probability of his project actually working was low, but he had to try. He didn't forget his ultimate goal, after all.

Right when he was about to assemble a crucial component that would lead him a step closer, there came Braylon, barging into the room like a madman. Claptrap, scared beyond his programming, jumped in surprise and accidentally broke the materials needed for the component.

"****!" He cursed loudly and cursed once more when he realized what happened.

But the fleshbag was unresponsive. He shambled towards the nearest bed while carrying a weapon and dropped himself down on the soft mattress, a loud sigh escaping from his lips.

"I want to kill myself." He stated before burying his head into the pillow.

"Just do it. You would do the universe a favor." Braylon didn't respond. Only muffled complaining came from him. "Stop *****ing and let me work in peace! Don't you have a class or some ****?" All complaining ended abruptly. Without a word, the human raised his head and stared at the Claptrap with the eyes of a man who spent most of his life tortured in a dungeon, too far gone to realize what was happening around him. "What time is it?"

"I dunno, eight in the morning?" He barked at the human. "Now give me some ****ing peace already!"

Braylon slowly stood up from the bed, stored the weapon in his device and went for the door. "Barely started and I hate school already."

"Cool. Now **** off." He heard the door slam shut and let out a robotic equivalent of a sigh. It was time to start his project from the beginning. How went the human saying? Fall seven times and stand up eight.

* * *

 **EDIT: Forgot to add the secondary firing mode to Fornax. To see its effect, go see chapter 44 of the first story.**

* * *

 **I have a confession to make. I decided to bring back the Fornax plasma gun from the first fic and with it, the weapon rarity system I used there. You can see both in chapter 44 for full description. But for those more lazy (like me),** **below** **is the shortened (and updated) version.**

 **As for why I brought it back, there are two reasons that in my opinion are good enough. One is that, since I am following the Doom formula, a plasma gun is a must. The other is simply because I think melting stuff with energy weaponry is a nice touch to the overall brutality that this fic will bring out.**

 **Also one thing. Please, PLEASE, I need feedback. I cannot make the story good if I receive no feedback whatsoever. No need to write a damn essay. Just few words or something. Thank you.**

* * *

 **WEAPON RARITY: while it has no real impact on the story, I think it is still nice to have this thing here just to see how good a weapon is/how guns will be treated. There might be a possibility I will use this system when writing the prequel to the crossover.**

 **1) White/Low-quality: useless, trash, paperweight**

 **2) Green/Standard: everyone has these, the norm**

 **3a) Blue/Unique: no red text, produced en masse, higher quality than green**

 **3b) Blue/One of a kind: red text, only one in exsistence, given as payment or whatever**

 **4)** **Purple/High-quality: also rare, but stronger than blue (also costs a lot)**

 **5) E-tech: same as purple, strongest class in exsistence (that is not Legendary or above)**

 **6a) Orange/Prototype: only one in exsistence, either a failed project or never meant to hit the market (too expensive to make, stronger than predicted...)**

 **6b) Orange/Legendary Series:** **only few of each type are produced (example: only six Lyuda sniper rifles were made, but each has different stats/elemental damage), way too expensive/payment for a job**

 **7) Seraph: dunno if these ones are canon so I will avoid them**

 **8a) Pearlescent/Normal: made by corporations, the endgame wapons, best of the best**

 **8b) Pearlescent/Unique: guns built by Braylon or similar, usually have "Vault Hunter's" in the full name**

 **9) Eldritch: still working on this one, but it most commonly applies to mystical objects that are either cursed (dark red, strong but has serious drawbacks) or blessed (yellow, usually defensive). For now I will stick to this interpretation. May be subject to change in the future.**

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Vault Hunter's Fornax:**

 **\- "Oh, this will make your day alright." (Fast projectile speed, high damage and reduced recoil but slower to reload)**

 **\- Pearlescent/Unique**

 **\- Highly effective vs Armor and Flesh**

 **\- Secondary fire mode (Braylon can charge the gun to fire a devastating ray rather than single shots, damage varies on how much battery is used)**

 **\- Plasma damage (bullets themselves deal standard damage, but because this is plasma, it can also burn the target, just not like Incendiary-based weapons)**

 **\- Works outside Remnant (changed this one because it will most likely be used in scenarios outside Remnant)**

* * *

 **M1rzaTheBroJo: While the Bill Cipher scene is a joke, it does have an important** **story** **detail. Scenes like these are meant to represent just how much the situation is going downhill, to the point that characters from some realities have access to other than their own. In other words, a clusterfuck is happening everywhere.** **But no, no Gravity Falls will appear in the story. This is what I meant when I said it will be a crossover. Sometimes Braylon will jump to places, sometimes characters or phenomena unique to some realities will appear and so on. I tried to apply this to the previous story and I did, but only partially. If you want to know what it was, go back and reread the story carefully. Same stuff will be implemented here,** **which is why I added the "Riftspawn" type of creatures. Although most of them will be my creation, some Riftspawns are basically enitities from other universes, such as the Creeper (which I am sure many readers already noticed).**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Pistol:** Energy Pistol, Unforgiven

 **Shotgun:** Orphan Maker, Striker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **Energy Weapon:** Fornax

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw


	16. In The Forest of Forever Fall

One long week has passed since Braylon entered Beacon disguised as a student. One whole week and the Vault Hunter was still at square one. No real progress has been made. Between the incessant classes and trips to the library, searching for a book that might contain useful information, Braylon was neck deep in work useless to him. He also went to the public library, hoping he would at least find something there when he couldn't find at Beacon's. No such luck, even after reading the twentieth book about Remnant legends. Perhaps he should have look for other genres and not just encyclopedias, he realized just a few days ago. He made it his duty to return to that library as soon as possible. But for now, that task had to wait one whole day, for Braylon never put into consideration one detail that further derailed his mission; a trip to the woods.

"Yes, students. The forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful."

"A forest with trees stuck in one season." Braylon murmured to himself while walking near team RWBY. "Hmph. Out of all stupid things I've..."

"But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep withing the forest. As for me, I am here to make sure none of you die while doing so."

" _It is nice to know that professors like to put their trust into our abilities._ " Braylon mentally scoffed, keeping a tiny ironic smile on his face. Out of all people present, only Blake seemed to notice or care about it, as he caught her slightly glancing in his direction. He turned around and saw team CRDL with Jaune walking behind them. Despite the beating they received from him that day, not only their injuries were healed in record time, he suspected Aura involvement, but they returned to their old ways of acting superior towards the weaker subjects. They learned to stay away from Braylon at all times but he also gained a pointless enemy on his back.

"...full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay close to your teammates as much as possible. I want you to remember that this will also be a practical test of your abilities. Don't hesitate to rely on me should you need. We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun!"

" _Great._ " Braylon moaned mentally as everyone split apart. " _Almost six hours of sap-collecting. Would rather play Russian roulette instead._ "

"Hey Braylon!" Ruby and Yang approached the Vault Hunter.

"Hey you two." Braylon waved, putting his mask on again. "Is there something you need?" Ruby was about to answer when Yang answered for her. "Rubes here wanted you to join us." The younger sister protested by glaring and pouting at Yang, cheeks red for reasons Braylon couldn't understand. "Are you sure you are up to the task?" She added a wink for good measure.

Braylon frowned slightly. "Yeah... sure..."

"Yes! I mean..." Ruby gasped silently. "I mean... great that you, my friend, are coming with us... hehe..."

"Oh relax, sis." Yang rolled her eyes. "I doubt he caught that." The two sisters passed by, leaving him behind. "Caught... what, exactly?" Braylon seriously started thinking that Yang tried to tell him something. "Oh fuck." He facepalmed once he realized what was going on. That girl, Ruby, may or may not have developed a crush on him. Something that made the situation more awkward since he was too focused on his mission to bother himself with petty things such as romance. Now he had another problem to solve and it certainly wouldn't have the best outcome. Not for the girl, at least.

Pushing the thoughts away, Braylon followed the duo until they arrived to a spot they deemed perfect. The ever-falling red leaves covered the ground in a red carpet that gave Braylon a sense of satisfaction. Seeing a plant-based organism that had such an ability fascinated the teenager's mind, no matter how stupid the concept sounded to him. Funny how all these years he was so focused on jobs that he completely forgot to enjoy the little things in life. Things that filled a heart with happiness, an emotion long dead in him.

As he was collecting sap, he heard someone walk up to him. It was Yang, her jar already filled.

"Hello again." Braylon acknowledged her presence.

"Listen, Braylon." Yang started. "Can I ask you an honest question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Have you ever had a relationship before?" The Vault Hunter almost chocked on his own saliva when he heard the question. He never showed it physically, however, and instead kept a calm mind, never turning to face her. "Never your mind, Yang." He responded with such coldness that wasn't typical for his facade. "That's in the past. Better keep it that way."

"What's with the mysterious answers all of a sudden?" He could feel slight anger in her voice. "Look, Yang. You are asking me some questions I really... it's private, okay? _Please take the bait and leave._ But if you must know, no. I did not."

"Then why don't you say so?"

He shrugged with his shoulders. "Dunno. Now excuse me but I want to fill this jar before I die of old age." He felt a hand pulling him backwards by the shoulder. "Sorry for bothering you then. I'll be going."

Braylon knew what that move meant; if he ever hurt Ruby's feelings, she would make him pay. As if he cared if some schoolgirl saw him as a potential mating partner. The multiverse was in danger for God's sake! How could romance even begin to compare to that? No, he had to solve that problem as soon as possible.

His jar was finally filled with the sugary substance after a couple of minutes. He saw the ginger girl from JNPR sucking that sap from a jar like a vacuum cleaner so it was probably Remnant's version of maple syrup.

" _Wait, how the fuck do I know that?_ "

The Vault Hunter moved his eyes from the jar to observe his surroundings. Wherever he looked he would only see red. His sight-seeing session ended when he heard a roar in the distance, immediately followed by the demonic voice bombarding mind with a high-pitched shriek.

" _They are here, mortal! Stop them now!_ " It was so loud and sudden, that Braylon dropped his jar and grabbed his head in pain and shock. " _What? Already?!_ "

" _Yes! Now go!"_ He felt his marked hand slightly jerking itself into the direction he had to go, which was his left side.

"Grimm!" Someone shouted as a group of Beowolves assaulted the two teams.

" _Looks like they sent those to keep me distracted!_ " Braylon thought as the encounter soon unraveled into a fight between the monsters and the Huntsmen-in-training. Not wanting to waste precious time, he turned to his left and began running as everyone was too focused on the Grimm to notice him. " _Bet they never thought it would help me more than hinder me from reaching them._ _Still... so suddenly?_ " Thousands of thoughts assaulted his mind as he ran further into the forest, searching for the demonic threat.

* * *

"Took you a lot of time, you know?" Cardin laughed as Jaune fell, dropping all six jars of sap in front of him. "And he brought the sap! Very good, Jauney-boy!"

"I... think I am alergic to this stuff."

"Yes, great. Now listen." Cardin pulled up Jaune and showed him a jar. "I bet you're asking yourself why you had to fill six jars of sap and not just five, correct?"

"I was asking myself that, yes." Jaune nodded affirmatively. "Good! Good!" Cardin smiled as he let go of the blond. "I also bet you're asking yourself why I brought this box of rapier-wasps with me, right?"

"...Sure." Jaune nodded once again.

"If that essay you wrote for me was correct, these damn bugs are attracted to sweet stuff. Just what we need. Come here." Jaune came closer to Cardin. They both observed RWBY and Jaune's remaining teammates. "There she is, the know-it-all." He growled angrily. "Heh, I wanna see how she is going to get herself out of this little prank."

"Uh, Cardin?" Jaune laughed nervously. "What's going on? Oof!" A jar was suddenly pushed into his hands. "You're gonna do it."

"Do what?"

"Throw that jar at the redhead over there and we will let out the wasps. Easy!"

Jaune stared at the bully, a horrified look on his face as the realization dawned on him. But he refused. He refused to be bullied by Cardin. He refused to hurt his own friend just to make Cardin happy. If that fight between Braylon and CRDL taught him anything, it was that he should never bow down to the likes of Cardin and his teammates. So instead of throwing the jar at Pyrrha, he threw it at the one who really deserved it. Unfortunately, Cardin saw the jar flying his way and moved sideways, letting its contents to spill on Dove.

"Oh-ho-ho, you've done it now Jauney-boy." Cardin threatened as his teammate cursed loudly. He proceeded to punch Jaune several times, who didn't bother to return the favor. "You think screwing me up will make you a man? Huh?" He kicked the blond in his stomach. "Just you wait till we return to Beacon. I'm gonna have a little talk with the headmaster and your sorry ass will be kicked out!"

Every activity stopped once they all heard the unmistakable roar of the Ursa, couple of meters away from them. Dove, being the one covered in sap that attracted the Grimm, started panicking, as did everyone else. Cardin, like the others, ran away from Dove in a random direction, leaving their teammate and Jaune behind. It was the second time Cardin was humiliated. First that prick and now at the hands of a blond bastard. That wasn't how things were supposed to be, he thought while running. He was the one who was supposed to beat them to a pulp. Him, him and only him.

Cardin stopped after twenty minutes of running. He had to catch his breath and calm down, otherwise he would attract even more Grimm. His head rose up towards the sky just as he leaned on a tree. In that sea of blue above his head, he was able to spot a faint flickering light that increased in size as seconds passed. We can imagine his surprise when he was able to saw what that light actually was.

Staring at the shining object above, Cardin saw something he would never forget. The object, a rock enveloped in flames, sailed thorugh the sky and crash-landed in the forest, warning everyone with its presence due to the explosion that came afterwards.

"What in the...?" Cardin verbally expressed his thoughts as he watched a tower of smoke rising in the air. He had to see what all of that was about and he would do it alone. Maybe he could get some extra points with some professors, becoming their pet? Nah, teacher's pets are losers. He would find that object because he wanted to, so that he could prove his superiorty over Jaune and the other bastard.

"One day I will get my hands on both of you. That's a promise."

* * *

(Grim Dawn – No Man's Land)

With the last Boarbatusk falling under the power of the Orphan Maker, Braylon's race against time could continue. That was the second Grimm roadblock he encountered, further proving his point that the invaders were using them to slow him down. For what reason, he wasn't sure. It would be known to him once he reached the destination.

" _Am I close?_ "

" _Yes. Keep going._ "

Braylon dashed through the forest of Forever Fall, sunlight illuminating his path while the leaves kept falling all around him. Three tiny Nevermore Grimm jumped out from one of the trees to attack him and all three were gibbed with Braylon's double-barreled shotgun, not even stopping his tireless marathon.

The constant Grimm activity proved to be a discouragement when it came to focusing all his mental strenght needed to face the actual enemy. That sudden first roadblock took him by surprise. After that, he decided to never drop his guard down. When combined with tireless running for an unknown amount of time, it proved to be a far harder task than Braylon had anticipated, even for a Vault Hunter.

A tree suddenly dropped down several meters in front of him. He was forced to stop his run to face the third roadblock; a Beowolf pack consisting of four individuals, one of which was an Alpha. He rememebered how his last encounter witht he Alpha ended. This time, it would be different. This time, he was prepared. With the Orphan Maker in his right hand and Holo Sabre in his left, Braylon shot forward at the enemy. The three underlings replied with a sprint of their own.

His first Beowolf was blasted away with the Orphan Maker in a bloody mist that mixed well with the color of the leaves. Waiting to reload, Braylon rammed into the second Beowolf, impaling him with his Sabre. He kept going forward while also reloading the gun as the Grimm thrashed around in pain and rage. When he slammed into the third and final underling, he shoved the barrels into the creature's chest and pulled the trigger. Both Beowolves ended up with holes in their chest, dead from severe physical trauma.

The last bastion of resistance was the Alpha, now devoid of lackeys. Braylon swapped the Sabre with Ripper and the Orphan Maker for Unforgiven. Charging at the beast of darkness, Braylon emptied his revolver on the Alpha, who protected its head with its hands, allowing him to slide under his feet while at the same time injuring its thigh with a swing of the Holo Ripper. The Grimm growled in pain and kneeled as Braylon got up, quickly pulled its head back and cut its throat with his holographic tool.

" _I need to hurry up and find them._ " Braylon though as he kept runing once more.

" _You are very close._ " He stopped. " _Do you see them?_ "

Braylon moved his head to the left and saw three individuals near a circular door made of stone engraved in a natural wall twenty meters away from him. Their feral mannerisms suggested they were, in fact, Former Humans. One woman in a lab coat carrying a tire iron and two men, both wearing bloodstained black clothes. But while the bald one had a shotgun, the other with short brown hair carried only a pistol.

They spotted him as he approached their position, seething and growling like rabid dogs. While the woman rushed forward, the other two raised their firearms and awkwardly aimed at the Vault Hunter. Shots echoed through the forest as bullets tore through Braylon's Shield, who decided to take the risk to keep a steady rythm in his advancement. He shot the woman in the head with the Unforgiven, then quickly switched it for Striker and fired another shot at the man with the pistol. The shotgunner fired once more but Braylon jumped sideways and returned fire, blowing the Possessed's head off.

" _That was the last one._ " Braylon thought as he got up and observed the stone door. The stone itself was green in color, almost jade-like but dirtier, standing out like a sore thumb from the brownish wall all around it. An upside down pentagram with an eye in the middle was the only decoration present on the door. Braylon found no doorknobs or levers that would move it away. It seemed like it was stuck to the wall, possibly to prevent any nearby sniffers.

" _Hm. Time to open it my own way._ "

(Atrium Carceri - Them)

He still had three of those grenades from the initiation and he would currently use one. The explosion from the unmodified grenade was strong enough to open a hole in the door. Before entering, Braylon took a peak through the newly-created hole. All he saw was a long, poorly lit hallway made of jagged grayish rock, narrow enough to fit only one person and a half at a time. What lit it were torches placed on the left and right walls, revealing alcoves every ten meters or so.

" _This construction was brought into this reality._ "

" _Really?_ "

" _Yes."_

" _How_?"

" _Only one way to find out._ "

" _Figures._ "

Braylon sighed, reloaded his Striker and passed through the hole. As soon as he set foot into the hallway, the temperature changed from mild and pleasant, to cold and downright creepy. He didn't even encounter any demonic beings and yet he could feel goosebumps all over his body. This made him more careful as he began walking, aiming down the iron sights of his gun while each footstep echoed faintly.

" _This is a really long hallway._ " Braylon idly commented after feeling like he didn't make any progress for twelve minutes. Nothing happened, he just passed from alcove to alcove, but nothing was there every time he checked. Then, he suddenly tensed up, feeling the familiar fear overwhelming his self-control. It was a sign that demon, or more of them, were nearby, waiting to strike when least expected.

Pressing his body against the right wall, Braylon silently moved forward while aiming at the alcoves in the opposite direction. Then, he saw two humanoid shadows, both in the next pair of alcoves. He almost immediately realized the plan. One of them would be a scapegoat while the other would be free to strike him. To thwart that machination, he devised a plan of his own.

Braylon jumped forward, his back turned to the right alcove. As soon as he did so, he saw, and heard, the perpetrators and their serpentine hisses. Mouthless humanoids, as tall as actual humans, with bright green skin and yellow oval, alien-like eyes, sporting broken black shackles on three-fingered hands and toeless legs. He quickly fired at the first demon, opening up an enourmous hole in its chest and splashing its red blood on the wall behind, while crouching at the same time to prevent an injured back. Turning around, Braylon fired at the remaining demon's legs, brutally tearing them away and making it drop on the ground. It screeched in pain until he blew its head off with the second shot.

" _Jesus._ " He snorted. " _What the fuck were these two?_ "

" _Peons.* Lowest-ranking brothers in the Imp tribe._ "

" _Really?_ _And here I was, thinking that enslavement based on skin color was_ _one of the worst things we could do_ _._ "

" _Life is hard. Deal with it._ _Now move forward._ "

" _Wait... I think I heard something._ "

Indeed he heard. It became obvious once the mental conversation died down. Heavy and rythmic, as if something large was sprinting right towards him from the darkness down the hallway. Braylon took aim and waited for the reveal of yet another demon. He realized he could abuse the, what he dubbed, "fear factor" to locate any demons in close proximity. Right then, one demon was approaching him.

Half a second later, its form was known to him. Unlike the Peons, this one was the textbook example of uncanny valley. It was barely, yet muscular, humanoid, with backwards knees and a big head so hunched that, at first glance, he thought it had no head in the first place. Other than a cavern for a mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and a small pair of horns, there really wasn't anything else that would constitute a face. Coupled with olive green skin and three claws on each foot, this bull-like demon** jumpsacred Braylon into pulling the trigger.

Although he heard a roar, indicating that it suffered some damage, his shotgun did nothing to prevent the demon from advnacin further towards him. They were inches away from each other when Braylon fired a second time, with the shot blasting through its head due to shorter range,thus bearing more devastating effects. The demon let out a pig-like snort as it fell backwards, red blood and brain matter spilling from the torn-open wound on the head.

" _Shit._ " Braylon coughed. " _Almost got me._ " Regaining his composure, the Vault Hunter set foot into an unneccesarily gargantuan room, built from the same gray rock as the hallway he just passed. There were three points of interest, one per wall. A large wooden gate in front of him and two glowing pentagrams, left and right respectively. The orange pentagrams were carved on top of some metallic platforms, each surrounded in four black candles. Each pentagram sported two black braziers placed nearby. The left braziers held blue fire while the right dark red.

" _What are those?_ "

" _Teleporters._ "

" _Teleporters? For where?_ "

" _Do I look like I know everything?_ "

" _Hm? Are those murals?_ "

Braylon was able to spot murals decorating the walls behind each pentagram. The left wall depicted a nude human woman with wings and feet of a bird, holding one object in each hand. The right wall depicted a human with the head of a bull, sitting on a throne. As he watched each of the figures, the voice let out its demented laugh once more.

" _It appears that one of my brothers is not exactly a risk-taker._ "

" _You know these two?_ "

" _Moloch and Inanna. The "deities" of old. Tools that outlived their usefulness, in my opinion._ "

" _Say what?_ "

" _Do I have to explain everything to you? Whoever transported this construction here made sure to fortify it with two obedient dogs. Which would explain the gate in front of you._ " As for the gate, there was one large, horned skull staring back at Braylon engraved on its surface. " _See those empty eye sockets?_ " Braylon came closer. " _You need to place appropriate "keys" to open the gate._ _Guess who has them._ "

Braylon gasped slightly. " _Are you kidding me?_ _I have to take it by force... from them?!_ "

" _Think of it as social responsibility. It's about time someone took care of those_ _old_ _automatons._ "

" _Yeah right. There is no way this somehow fits in your pocket._ "

" _You are learning. Good, because you have company._ "

The Vault Hunter turned at the sound of something scratching against the rock. Thick iron bars rose from the ground and denied access to the pentagrams. Shortly after, another demonic voice assaulted his mind, causing him pain as it spoke.

" _What did you hope to accomplish by coming here, mortal?_ "

It was all it ever said to him, as it let its brothers do the talking. Two Peons and one Former Human were teleported into the room, latter being a bit weirder than usual. It was a woman with long, sky blue hair wearing a blue and white dress, torn and bloodstained. It also wore a pair of blue boots and a damaged tiara with a blue crystal.***

Braylon swapped the Striker for Ajax's Spear and immediately killed one of the Peons. The remaining Peon and the Former Human jumped away from his attack with more agility than they had any right to, especially the Possessed, who looked like it had passed through a battlefield.

But he too was quick on his legs, seeing how he rolled away once the Imp leaped towards him, intending to reduce his body to shreds with its sharp claws. Unfortunately, he never predicted the Possessed's attack, which consisted in throwing a thunderball from a sceptre. It depleted his Shield with one shot.

" _Oookay... that was unexpected._ " Then he suddenly crashed on the floor as the Imp finally caught him. " _That too, was unexpected._ " The Former Human zapped him with another thunderball and the imp scratched his chest, drawing blood and screams of agony from him.

He wasn't about to let it slide without punishment, for he waited the perfect opportunity to materialize the Holo Sabre and cut the Imp on top of him in two with a diagonal slash. As the demon's blood and bits stained his clothes, he fired a burst at the Possessed, who once again evaded the attack, but gave Braylon enough time to recover and remove the corpse.

The Former Human, with the help of the sceptre, formed waves of electricity and sent them in Braylon's direction, who jumped over the first wave, crouched and rolled below the second only to jump forward during the third, knocking down the Possessed. While on top, he snatched the sceptre and slammed it two times on its head, then turned it upside down and stabbed the grip through its eye, putting an end to the original owner's suffering.

"Anyone else wants some?!" He yelled, raising his arms in anticipation.

It was time for round two. Three more Peons teleported in the room. Meanwhile, a pentagram formed ten meters away from him. It turned into dark mist before a fourth demon climbed its way out of it. A towering, gray-skinned brute with partially-exposed skull and human-like teeth, waiting to dig its fingers into the Vault Hunter's flesh.****

" _A Hell Knight. Imagine_ _my_ _surprise._ " The voice commented idly. " _Don't let him approach you. Otherwise he will tear your spine out._ "

"Nice..." He muttered. "But I have a surprise too." He swapped his weapon for the newest addition, the Fornax. The battle would be an excellent proving ground to test the weapon's lethality.

* * *

Yang jumped and brought down a devastating punch on the last Beowolf standing. It was the fifth wave of Grimm that attacked her team and that of JNPR.

"Where do these Grimm come from?!" She expressed her frustration.

"I'm not sure." Pyrrha, who stood beside her, answered. "I've never seen so many Grimm in one place. Yang turned around when she heard some shouting "Ursa! Ursa!". To her surprise, it was two members of that team CRDL. One of them ran near her so she was able to grab him.

"What?! Where?!"

"Back there! It got Dove!"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaimed, worried. "We need to help him!"

"Where is your leader?"

"Cardin? I dunno! We split up and he ran somewhere..." Yang stopped listening as soon as she noticed Ruby at the corner of her eye, frantically looking all over the place.

"Where is Braylon?!" She shouted. "He was here with us! Where did he go?!"

"Did anyone see that dolt?" Weiss, her partner asked everyone. She received no response. "Ugh. This is so tiresome..."

"Maybe he got scared and ran away?" The ginger member of JNPR pondered loudly.

"We should return to professor Goodwitch and tell her about what happened." Her partner suggested. "But we must find our leader first."

"And Braylon!"

"Yes... and Braylon."

* * *

 **As you may have guessed, this chapter is the start of a new arc. Even if, in my opinion, the official start should be in the next chapter. Make of that what you will.**

 **Something's more important that I want to tell you and that it somewhat bothers me. I purposefully ended the chapter right there, because I have a slight conflict of ideas about the next chapter. I have several options.**

 **Option A: I make the arc last two chapters by making the next chapter completely focused on Braylon, where he gets both keys, followed by the chapter after that where there will be the "boss fight" that will also be the end of the arc. I ignore what happens with RWBY and JNPR, only to retell it at the end of the arc.**

 **Option B: I split the arc in three chapters (one for the first key, one for the second, one for the final fight). What makes it different from A is that a portion of the first two chapters will also focus on what happens with RWBY and JNPR. Translation: they will have a fight of their own too.**

 **As I said above, I have th** **is conflict of ideas. I would like to read your opinion about it in the comments. With enough luck, it may help me shape the fic into something truly awesome. What do you think?**

 **And now here is something that I actually want to talk about.** **It revolves around the threats/enemies in the fic. Let me explain this in a way I find the easiest. In many RPG games, at least some that I know, you have an enemy "family", we can call it X. Now, X is made up from several subtypes that, while different in abilities (strong but slow, fast but weak), share some similarities (like name or physical form etc.). You can find this element in Borderlands and since this is a Borderlands fic, I wanted to apply that element on the threats that Braylon will face during the story. This is especially true for the demons.**

 **The "Peon" Imp is the weakest subtype in Imp "family". If it helps you making a mental image of it, try to imagine the Doom 64 version of the Imp, only with different skin color, no spikes,** **mouthless** **and** **with** **shackles. There is also the "Bull Demon", the weakest of "Pinky" family,** **which** **actually comes from the Doom RPG games, only without eyes** **. Baron of Hell is from the classics (since its design is way better than in the newest game** **of** **the series** **imo** **)** **as is the Reanimator Arch Vile and Lost Soul,** **while the Hell Knight is from the remake (no sense in having a recolored Baron** **).**

 **Point is, I wish to greatly diversify the types of demons Braylon has to fight. It should make the fic more interesting, since there is always the possibility of suddenly making the encounters a pain in the ass or easy as hell (no pun intended). There will also be, along Hellspawn and Demonic Coruption types, some demons of my own. As the story keeps going forward, newer and stronger threats will be added, making the MC's life as painful as possible.**

 **So there you have it. This is all I have to say for this chapter. Now excuse me, but I need to rest a little before writing the next chapter. Bye!**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

* **Entry #37:** Imp - Peon

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Imp. Is there a better name for cannon fodder? Oh wait, there is. You just need to add Peon. The only reason why these brothers are a rank higher than the Lost Souls is because they learned how to give themselves a physical form. That is pretty much it. Aside from that, they are too weak to be even considered independent, so the rest of us turned them into slaves. If you see them around, there is a possibility to encounter their owner, so be on your guard. Another thing. Due to aeons of slave labour, most of which is pretty much useless,_ _being just a source of laughs, they became very unstable, violent and filled with complexes, that will gladly be released on the first mortal they see. Expect them to either chimp out or form ambushes._ "

* * *

** **Entry #38:** Bull Demon

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:**

" _Not everyone took their eternal imprisonment as best as they could. Some, realizing their fate, became more violent and bloodthirsty than before, lashing out at everyone and everything. Mortals had a special place in their hearts, since they used to kill them for fun and to feast on their flesh everytime they went physical. What they failed to understand was that this prison is an excellent emotional greenhouse. Any negative thoughts and emotions you send out come back right at you. In their case, the very things they thought would free them actually turned them more feral as time went on. Soon, they regressed to mindless beasts, obsessed with keeping a physical body so they could munch on any meat they find, even if it was a brother of theirs. Banish themy before they catch you._ "

* * *

*** **Entry #39:** Magical Girl Stormcaller

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption - Human

 **Facion:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _You know, there are some things about mortals that even I find disturbing. Like your autistic levels of stupidity._ _Who, in their pea-brained mind, thought that acquiring_ _stupid trinkets, that conveniently changes_ _their_ _clothes_ _to please the eyes of members of the opposite sex, would suddenly make them pure warriors bent on banishing anything evulz? Seriously. Stop taking anything at face value, morons. If wars were fought that way, then each war in the past would be nothing more than a fashion parade._ "

* * *

**** **Entry #40:** Hell Knight

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Fun fact. A Hell Knight will most likely be the cause of your death. Being a dumbed down Baron obsessed with combat, the Hell Knight is one of the first in line to be sent on the battlefield when we finally decide to be serious and wreck the opponent. Should you ever encounter one, be prepared to unleash your most powerful toys and pray to Anathema that you will be able to banish it as quickly as possible, because there is no running from combat when a Knight is involved. Approaching one when they are at the peak of their physical condition is suicide, since they are able to rip_ _in half the strongest materials known to mortals (and some unknown), so be sure to hit them from larger distances._ "


	17. Away From the Light

Everything around him was dead. Not one thing was left alive. It was either burnt to ashes, disintegrated into steaming bits or molten into something barely recognizable. That was the strenght of the plasma gun Fornax.

It proved to be more than lethal when applied to Peons and an excellent choice against the Hell Knight who, despite being able to take the first shots, fell under the power of the secondary firing mode that the gun possessed. A powerful beam capable of killing even the toughest of monsters, should the user decide to sacrifice a portion of the battery. A 25% beam was more than enough for the Knight. The only downside was that the battery now had 60% energy remaining, a fact that could be seen on a small screen on top of the weapon itself, and he only had three more batteries left.

Common sense dictates that, when one has a powerful weapon in their arsenal, yet said weapon has limited uses, they should use it only when it is functional to do so. Braylon discarded such logic and decided to go full liberal as newer and newer waves of demons teleported into the room.

Second wave consisted of two Pain Elementals, who kept their distance and decided to flood the whole place with Lost Souls, more Peons and a Bull Demon. From third wave onward, the situation became unpredictable. Some Peons, an occasional Hell Knight and even a new addition. One that the voice called Spectre;* Bull Demons but with dark green skin, two red eyes and had the power to turn invisible, except when trying to bite its victim or when it "dies".

Once the last Hell Knight, fell, everything became silent. The iron bars lowered, giving complete accessibility to what they protected. As for Braylon, he was a bruised and bloody mess, but he refused to fall, standing on his two legs and breathing heavily, clutching the hand that held a steaming Fornax. It was funny how such a thing would place him in bed for several months back when he was younger, but now after everything he went through, it could be considered a "flesh wound".

"Welp." He sighed. "I guess I have to choose which way to go first... I can already see the outcome of this."

* * *

"Jaune!"

"Jaune!"

Everyone gathered to search for their friend, or in JNPR's case, leader. Their Scrolls facilitated the search for the blond knight, although the Aura display was quite alarming for all of them. Whatever Jaune encountered, it was powerful enough to drop two thirds of his aura in minutes. In one moment they all heard a monstrous cry echoing through the forest. It was a clue they needed to follow.

"I can see him!" Ren warned others, before the person they were searching for, and with him a certain member of CRDL, smacked into him, sailing through the air at high speeds. His partner screamed and ran up to him.

"I'm fine... just... that was unexpected." He rubbed his head, staring at the body of his leader.

"Jaune!" The remaining member came to help. "Are you alright?"

"Mmmphnm..."

"What? Please speak louder."

"Uh, I think he meant "monster"." Pyrrha turned her head to Yang, who pointed forward. Her jaw dropped when she saw what Yang's finger pointed at. "What is that?!"

Slowly approaching the Huntsmen-in-training was a one-eyed giant with light brown skin. Taller than a Ursa Major when standning on its hind legs, just like the decapitated one it was carrying around, this club-wielding brute shook the earth with each step it made, roaring furiously when it spotted the newcomers. It threw the corpse at the group of teenagers, who fled just in time to avoid being squished by the dead Grimm.

"It's a monster!"

Everyone took their weapons and fired at the giant who protected its head with a free hand. The bullets did poorly against its hardened skin. Only Nora's grenade launcher was able to force the beast to take few steps back. Enraged, it swung its free arm and screamed, sending the leaves flying as well as stopping the assault.

Ruby had to bury Crescent Rose into the ground to keep herself from flying away. When the giant stopped screaming, she lept forward thanks to her Semblance and stabbed it in the leg. It screamed once more, swinging and stomping with the injured limb. At one point, it managed to kick Ruby away, sending her flying into a tree.

"Ruby!" Her sister cried in worry. Worry that soon turned into rage. Bursting into fire, Yang used her shotgun-gauntlets to propel herself up and towards the one-eyed monster. "You bastard!"

The beast swung its wooden club, trying to swat her like a fly. Yang, not interrupting her trajectory, punched the club, breaking it in two, and went for the eye. The warm blood that splashed on her face as soon as her gauntlet made contact woke Yang from her rage, letting herself vulnerable to the monster's backhand, now going berserk from loosing its valuable organ.

It flailed and roared, lashing out at everyone and everything. The destructive tantrum ended when Nora used Pyrrha's shield to propel herself upwards, only to swing down her hammer straight on its head. A loud crack later, and the giant was on the ground.

"Take that, ugly! Nobody hurts my Ren!"

Nobody decided to comment. Instead, everyone kept helping their injured colleagues.

"We must go back to professor Goodwitch." Weiss stated as she watched the dead monster. "She needs to know about this. The headmaster needs to know about this."

"Finding everyone should be our top priority." Blake said as she helped Yang standing up. "Cardin and Braylon are still missing."

Weiss frowned, but nodded in agreement. She then became witness to a really strange phenomenon. The giant, some time after its death, burned to ash and scattered away.

"What?!"

"Just like the Grimm." Blake frowned.

"That... thing, couldn't possibly be Grimm. It had no features a Grimm does!"

"Let's leave speculation for later. We need to find Braylon and Cardin."

"But we don't even know where they are!"

* * *

Cardin couldn't believe what he was looking at. There were no words in his dictionary that could express his anger aimed at the object that stood in the crater. A space rock as large as a bike. That was it. Not some piece of alien sci-fi space technology, or some kind of spacecraft. Just a rock.

"What a stupid waste of time." He growled and kicked the dirt.

Right when he turned around to leave, he heard something crack behind him. It was the rock that shook slightly with each crack. One, two, three, then the final crack and the rock was open like an egg. Behind the thin curtain of smoke, Cardin noticed a pool of sorts, containing some red liquid. When he took a step closer to see more clearly, something called to him mentally.

" **Hello. You are not afraid, are you?** "

He didn't know what was scarier. The intrusion into his mind or the fact that the intruder sounded like him.

" **You have nothing to fear from me. I can assure you I mean no harm.** "

Cardin wasn't sure what to do. Should he turn and run away, or stay and listen to whatever that freak talked about? If he did the first, he would be finally seen as a coward. If he did the second, who knows what that thing would do to him. He was so torn apart by those decisions that he forgot he was talking to something that dropped from space.

"Who are you?"

" **Just another traveler in the vastness that is space. Before you lies my form. Weak, isn't it?** " Cardin watched as the liquid suddenly started vibrating and turning into a tiny heap. Suddenly, it threw itself from its pool onto the carpet of leaves below. " **I wasn't always like this, however. Someone out there took everything I ever had from me. Now that I think of it, you and I are not so different. Yes, I can feel it. You suffered the same fate.** **But I also feel something else. Doubt. Hatred. Fear.** "

"I am not scared of anything!" Cardin barked defensively.

" **Is that so? Then you won't have any problems if I search your mind, correct? Ah, there it is. You experienced defeat by a person who is stronger than you. They ridiculed you in front of everyone else and you were powerless to stop it.** "

"You..." Cardin grit his teeth in frustration, ready to bash the thing into an even more pulpy state.

" **Today is your lucky day, Cardin. That same person happens to be... an acquaitance of mine. Someone I know all too well. His strenghts... and his weaknesses.** "

"Weaknesses?" Cardin realized what that "somebody" meant. "What weaknesses?"

" **It is hard to describe with words. You have to see it for yourself.** " The heap moved forward. " **I see it piqued your interest. Very well. In order to see it, you and I have to... bond.** "

"B..." Cardin took a step back. "Bond?"

" **Yes. If you allow me to connect with your bloodstream we will create a bond that will give you powers beyond that of a** **common human. You will do things others wished they could. Think, you will become a role model. Everyone will see you as an example of what a Huntsmen should be. And naturally, that person will learn his place, just like everyone who will dare to stand in your way.** "

"...when do we start?"

* * *

Braylon wasn't new to teleportation. It was a common technology all throughout the galaxy. One could never become accustomed to the process, for the users would always report feeling slightly nauseous after the it ends. But the type of teleportation he was currently using was even worse. He was conscious through it all, able to see nothing but a a red tunnel-like void filled with thousands of human and inhuman screams, unable to move any muscle of his body, instead letting some kind of wind to toss him around. Before he knew it, he found himself on the other end. His first instinct was drop on his knees and to puke his guts out.

"Holy..." He coughed. "It's gonna be something common from now on, isn't it?"

Instead of hearing another mocking comment from the voice that followed him, his ears were bombarded with demonic screeching and animalistic grunts. He lifted his eyes from the gravel floor to take a sight of the place he was teleported into; a room with wooden walls and a gate in front of him. There were three cell-like compartments, one for each wall, containing nothing but Peon Imps, who kept shaking and scratching the iron bars that held them prisoners.

" _Who dares intruding into my domain?!_ " A feminine voice boomed into his thoughts.

"God. I love how every single thing likes to use my brain as a telephone booth." He grumbled at the newly-acquired headache. " _Are you Inanna?_ "

" _You dare s_ _peak_ _my name, worm?!_ "

" _Wow. For being a "godess" of love, sex and beauty, you sure do act like a roastie._ "

" _How dare-_ "

" _Oh for fuck's sake, just shut your mouth for once! How I dare this, how I dare that! Do you have any other words in your vocabulary?! Nevermind. I am here to take the key so that I can open the gate, with or without your consent._ "

" _Over my dead body!_ " The iron bars lowered, allowing Peons to flood the room. " _Bring me his head!_ "

"Son of a bitch." He grumbled and metrialized Ajax's Spear.

(Doom Metal Volume 4 – Deep Into the Code)

The first volley of bullets hit three Peons on his left. Turning around, Braylon saw one Imp ready to leap towards him. He jumped sideways and on the ground, evading the attack. Another Peon took the opportunity to finish what his brother started, only to meet Braylon's legs who used them to kick the demon somewhere behind him. Backrolling, the Vault Hunter evaded a pair of hands aimed at his stomach, crouched, took aim and held the trigger until every Peon in the room became the demonic equivalent of Swiss cheese, their blood decorated the walls or spilled on the floor.

Reloading the gun, Braylon aimed at the wooden gate that slowly creeped open. A tiny black-blue-skinned head, slightly bigger than a human fist, with pointy ears, sharp teeth and three black dots for eyes, peeked into the room, staring at the Vault Hunter who immediately opened fire. The head, being faster, moved out with a snake-like hiss. A minute after Braylon stopped firing, it jumped into the room with three more lookalikes. They were all bald, thin, almost skeletal and each hand had four fingers equipped with claws. Their bodies reached the waist of a human, but their stance made them appear even more dwarvish.**

One of them stuck out a forked tongue between its teeth before barking a stream of gibberish. The remaining three replied with a bark of their own before lunging at Braylon, who killed two of them but the third threw him on the ground. It screeched something as it tried to claw its way to his heart, but drained the Shield instead.

Braylon tried to aim his rifle at the pest, but it was swatted away by the other demon who came to the rescue. He shouted angrily as he materialized the Holo Ripper, slicing in half the tiny beast above him then decapitating the last member alive.

"Fucking pricks!" He cursed as he got up and grabbed the rifle.

" _Eurynomus_ _. Probably used as jesters to keep_ _up_ _the morale._ "

"Blue-skinned little shits! I'll tear them in half the next time I see them!" He spat on one of the corpses before deciding to walk out of the room while taking Striker in the process. The room he previously stood in was inside something that resembled a spacious cave yet so confusing and filled with alien geometries. For example, the area forward was a tiny garden-like place filled with black sand, few dead trees and three human corpses on stakes, one of which was burning, while the ceiling was nothing but a lake filled with lava that never dropped down.

"Am... am I-"

" _No. You are not down here. That is all you need to know. Now, forward. And don't make me repeat myself._ "

Braylon jumped from the cliff and began roaming through the garden. After he passed the third dead tree and the first corpse on a stake, his ears picked the sound of muffled footsteps all around him. Nervously, he spun around several times, trying to find the source. He almost screamed when a Spectre appeared right in front of his face, ready to take a bite of his arm. Hadn't he fall on the sand and pull the trigger, hurting the demon who turned invisible and ran away, he would have lost an arm.

"Fuck this."

He decided to swap Striker for the much stronger Orphan Maker and continued his journey towards the middle of nowhere. There were multiple steps again but he was prepared. Calming his nerves, he carefully moved his eyes, trying to find a hint that would tell him the attacker's position. Not only he heard the Spectre coming closer, he was also able to see the footprints. So he waited for the demon to come as close as possible before firing. Seconds later, a headless corpse appeared along with a large red mist. But the ambush wasn't over, as the Vault Hunter heard more footsteps from behind him. Not wasting any precious second, he spun around and fired again. He heard a roar of pain as the second Spectre appeared before him, face mangled.

"Go back to Hell." The next shot turned it into a disgusting pile of minced meat. Apart from a Peon hiding behind a tree, a tree that exploded as soon as Braylon sensed the demonic presence, there weren't any further threats, allowing Braylon to proceed.

" _Bitch move or not. I'm not putting this toy away._ "

Out of all trees present in the area, there was one far bigger than the rest, but with pitch-black bark. The ground started shaking when Braylon stood fifteen meters away from it.

" _What now?!_ "

Thinking that there was a possible threat hiding behind the branches' weird spasms, Braylon pointed Orphan Maker at the not-so-innocent plant. He barely suppressed his shock when four branches reshaped themselves into hands as a pair of orange-glowing eyes and a mouth locked in an eternal, evil grin formed inexplicably on the surface of the trunk. It laughed, ripping out its own roots, now shaped like feet.

" _Mourning Wood.*** Classic._ "

" _That's seriously fucked up!_ Shit!" He cursed loudly as he was forced to take cover behind one of the trees, because the tree opened its mouth and fired a volley of flaming spikes, laughing as it did so. " _Damn! It looks tough! What can I do to bring that thing down? Maybe..._ " He sniffed. Something was burning. " _My cover is on fire!_ " He jumped away as the Mourning Wood kept pouring flames, again from the mouth, like a flamethrower.

Braylon switched for the pistol and fired three bursts, each with three shots, in various places. It moaned loudly but it was far too weak to stop its advance, tearing out trees to clear the way towards the Vault Hunter.

Being a giant can be very rewarding. One can be unstoppable, as puny weapons are unable to cause any harm. However, being a slow giant in a crowded place is far more inconvenient, especially when the enemy, in this case a human, is faster. So Braylon circled around the Mourning Wood, who had trouble following his movement, went behind it and brought down his Holo Ripper on one of the legs while adding more damage with the pistol. Orange sap-like blood sprayed from the injury as the tree crashed loudly on the sand below. He finished the job by reaching the trunk and cutting it in two. The Mourning Wood corpse burned and turned to ashes, moments after its death.

" _I didn't know it could do that._ "

" _Every broken tool does. It's a precaution. Plausible deniability._ "

" _Well at least the area is clear. For now._ "

His next challenge came in the form of a labyrinth made of black bushes. Stepping on the stone-tiled floor, an iron gate appeared behind him.

" _Looks like there is no going back now._ "

The labyrinth proved to be very tricky. Whenever Braylon would turn his eyes away from a path, that path would change completely. What was straight became curved or it would split in more roads. The fact that no demon attacked him yet made him more paranoid than the labyrinth itself. All of a sudden, when Braylon went for his revolver, four Peons jumped out from the walls and towards him. Even two Bull Demons appeared from behind the corner, down the path.

"For God's-" A Peon moved its head too close to the barrel just as he pulled the trigger. "Hey! Let me go!"

All Peons piled up on him, obviously trying to restrain his movement for the fastly-approaching Demons. Gritting his teeth in frustration, the Vault Hunter shoved his left fist into a Peon's chest and materialized the Holo Sabre.

"I said, fuck off! Raagh!" As he tore his left arm free, so did the Sabre slice through the demonic flesh only to bury itself in a second Imp. After it fell, he swapped Sabre for Holo Claw, buried it in the third Imp's stomach, swung it over his head and towards the Bull Demons. One jumped and bit the Imp mid-air, munching and sprinting forward at the same time. Eventually its teeth snapped the spine and the corpse, now in two pieces, fell behind them.

"Christ. That was disgusting." Braylon stopped staring and fired with Unforgiven. It took three bullets to bring one down and the remaining two to injure the second individual, who still refused to stop its reckless rush. Rather than reloading, Braylon took the pistol and fired two more shots, finally putting it to rest.

The remainder of the trip was calm until he saw a small park down the road infested with a group of Peons and Eurynomus. He took one of the two remaining grenades, activated and hid it behind his back, running to get their attention. The small crowd noticed him and began hissing, growling and moaning, yet none refused to leave their position. When the time was almost up, Braylon felt confident and threw the grenade at the group. None was able to escape as the explosion turned the crowd into a gruesome organ party. Carefully avoiding any decapitated head, mangled intestine or other organs, he reached the park. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to predict that it was a trap, seeing how the only way forward, and the one behind him, was blocked with a wall of fire that never seemed to burn the bushes.

"Crap."

A pentagram appeared and a Baron of Hell teleported into the area.

"Not you again!" It roared, chucking a green fireball. "I am happy to see you too! Unless you are someone else-urk!" The Baron waited for Braylon to dodge the fireball so he could squeeze him iwith the hands. "Aaah! That fucking hurts!" Growling, it slammed Braylon against the floor and threw him on the other side of the park, draining his Shield.

"Damn... forgot... you hurt on a whole new level." Braylon had trouble standing up, despite the body having no visible injuries. " _If he throws another of those, I'm done for._ " Just as he thought, the Baron prepared his hand for a second attack. " _I need to act! Quick!"_

Praying for the plan to succeed, he materialized Fornax and fired at the demon. The hot plasma burned its skin, disrupting the attack. His real intention was to fire a beam that would use 75% of the battery which, to his calculations, would be enough to banish it. Unfortunately, the Baron of Hell realized his intention, forcing him to fire prematurely; a beam with 25% power. Not enough strenght to do the job, but enough to open a wound in its chest.

Clutching its injury, the demon howled in pain and hatred for the one responsible. A lenghty distraction that gave him enough time to recover. When he tried to push for an offensive, the demon tore a piece from the floor and hurled it at him. Braylon ducked to avoid getting hit and replied with a volley of plasma. It annoyed the Baron more than injuring it like the beam did.

Even with the injury, the Baron was still able to move. So it leaped towards Braylon, bringing down a giant fist. Braylon jumped away and the fist collided with the floor. He then swapped Fornax for Orphan Maker and fired at the demon's head. It had less impact than he wanted.

" _Kudos for being able to take a shotgun to the face and still live._ "

With a hole in its cheek, the Baron hissed as he unloaded his weapon once more into its head. It had more effect than the previous shot, dislocating the jaw and disfiguring the head but refusing to die.

"Fucking asshole. Take this!" Third shot was the breaking point, as the dead body crashed on the ground, the fiery walls that blocked his path extinguished themselves. What lied ahead was yet another wooden gate, only this one was connected to a wall. He reached the gate and pushed it open.

Braylon expected all kinds of things. Death arenas. Torture chambers. Catacombs full of corpses. But he never expected to find something that could either be described as a demonic brothel or a king's harem.

What lay on the floor were dozens of purplish cushions, either in a pile or single, occupied by one or more monsters. All of them bore many resemblances to human women. All of them were copulating with each other, talking, singing, drinking from golden chalices or trying to seduce the human to join their orgy.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Braylon looked around, obviously confused at the sudden change of atmosphere. The walls were painted in purple, just like the carpet below. He could also smell incense even if there were no incense-burners anywhere. But the most striking detail was a stairway that led upwards, to a golden throne, where a figure with wings could be seen sitting. The monsters giggled as the figure stood up and spoke.

"So you finally came to my inner sanctum. Good. Now, mortal, what is your reason for slaughtering your way to me like a barbarian?"

Dealing with people, the teenager was used to many types of voices. Rough, but honest. Plain, yet precise and to the point. Angry, with good reason. The voice he heard was smooth. Eerily smooth. Sweet and pleasing to the human ear, able to catch everyone's attention. And yet, it felt dead. Sweet, but also dead, with no emotion behind it whatsoever. No human was able to produce such a sound, Braylon thought.

" _Stop thinking about it, slave. That voice uses a charm spell that is toxic to mortals, just like every tool in here._ "

" _Right._ " Braylon shook his head and frowned. "I am here for the key! Now will you give it to me or do I have to come up there?!"

The voice giggled playfully. "Oh-ho! Our little mortal decided to show his teeth! Girls! Take care of him!

"...to be fair, I should have seen that one coming."

(God of War: Ascension – Streets of Sparta)

All lights went out, except those close to Braylon, forming a purple circle. His first opponent was a monster with the upper body of a woman, but the lower body of a snake. A mythological monster known as Lamia.****

Due to her anatomy, she was able to stand taller than him, thus trying to intimidate the human in front of her, who materialized Holo Sabre and grabbed his revolver. The Lamia hissed as it swiftly slid forward and coiled her body around his. He scratched her with Sabre and fired a bullet every time he could feel the barrel bury slightly into the snake-like body.

"Let me go already!" He yelled to the increasingly uncomfortable Lamia. It was only a matter of time before she loosened her grip. And when she did, he jumped out, used her body as a platform, jumped again and brought down the Holo Sabre on her right shoulder. She screamed as the holographic tool moved out from the wound and cut her with one horizontal slash, splitting her apart. He could hear gasps from the crowd hidden in the darkness.

"Fine." The female voice spoke again. "Have it your way. She was annoying anyways. Next!"

This time, it were three Harpies. Women with the wings and legs of a bird. Like the Lamia, Harpies were physically attractive yet disgusting and abominable at the same time.*****

" _Man, I think I never went from "diamonds" to "wet rag" faster in my life._ "

One Harpy from the small flock screeched and swooped down faster than he was able to react, slamming him with her own body. He lost balance and fell. The remaining two lifted him up by his arms, allowing the third to scratch and bite his Shield-protected body.

" _Ma'am or no ma'am, I have to do it!_ " He gritted his teeth then, as soon as the third Harpy came close, grabbed her head with his legs. The commotion was too much for the Harpies, so they let go of him. Falling on his back, he grabbed the pistol and used it in combination with Unforgiven to kill off all three monsters. Now the crowd started murmuring.

"Impressive. But your luck ends now."

The third challenge consisted of two Succubi and one woman with long blond hair, but also with five fox tails behind her back and a pair of fox ears. ******

" _Try not to stare too much into the mammary glands, slave. I don't need more stains on my reputation._ "

" _If only you knew how bad things really are... those nails look too sharp for my liking._ " Succubus on the left threw a fireball at Braylon, who dodged it with ease. " _I preferred them when they tried to get into my pants._ " The second Succubus took flight as the first kept chugging fireballs. Meanwhile, the fox-tailed monster jumped from place to place with surprising speed, scratching him more times than he wanted. " _Need to take care of the two before I can move to the Kitsune... or is it_ _Kumiho_ _? Fuck._ " He managed to dodge another scratch. " _Enough_ _mental blowjobs and concentrate!_ "

Switching to Striker, the Vault Hunter shot the flying Succubus in the chest. She dropped on her knees, holding the bleeding wound with one hand while leaning on the other. Incapacitated, it was no longer a threat, so he shot the other and killed it on the spot.

" _Now for the fox._ "

His last opponent already depleted his Shield and he was unable to take aim thanks to the speed. So he had an idea. He spun around and aimed at the injured Succubus, counted to five, turned around again and instantly pulled the trigger. As he expected, the monster was behind him, receiving the blast from point blank-range. The last living monster was killed too.

"Silence!" The voice's response to the crowd's outrage was quick and decisive. "So be it, mortal! I shall finally respond to your provocations myself!"

He heard the flapping of wings as the voice's owner came into view. A woman with white wings and yellow feet of a bird, adorned in all kinds of jewelry, including a golden bustier, necklace and rings. It was none other than Inanna herself.*******

"So. You must be Inanna."

"Indeed. You have the privilege to see me in flesh and blood. Few mortals were able to do that in ancient past."

"I bet they also got that sweet vadge." He snickered. "Ha, sweet..."

"Enough. This was the last insult that will ever come out of your lips. Prepare to die."

"Bring it, featherbrain."

(Dark Souls – Chaos Witch Queelag)

Inanna summoned a golden shield and a spear with her abilities.

"Did you know, mortal? I enjoy combat as much as love."

"You said "alimony" wrong." Braylon fired with the Striker. The shot was blocked with her shield, which deflected the pellets. "Bulletproof shield? I wish I had that." With a roar, the self-proclaimed goddess threw her spear in the air above the Vault Hunter which multiplied in lots of copies and rained down on him. His shield was depleted and one spear managed to stab him in the shoulder only to dissapear seconds later. Now Inanna summoned a golden sword while still holding her shield.

"Ah! Damn it! Now you've done it!" Braylon materialized Holo Sabre and rushed forward. The fact that both her sword and shield could block or clash with his holographic weapon bothered him because no physical weapon should be able to do that. He dismissed such facts as sorcery and focused further on the gladiatorial combat. Both sides were unable to prevail and hit the other. Where one would go for a quick stab, the other would either dodge or deflect.

"You are good, mortal."

"Good? I'm better."

"Don't delude yourself. You still failed to land a hit on me."

Both jumped away from each other.

" _She is right. I still didn't hit her._ "

" _There is a reason why a tool considers itself to be its creator._ "

" _I see it now. Looks like those responsible stuffed her brain with excellent combat skills._ _She has no openings that I can use. But..._ " He grinned. " _...It will take much more to bring me down._ "

"I assure you that, no matter what your plan is, it will not work on me, for I am a goddess of warfare and combat." He didn't respond, focusing on stashing away all his weapons and swapping them for Holo Ripper. They stared at each other for few seconds before restarting their fatal dance.

The reason why he switched the Sabre for Ripper was because he wanted to experiment. Due to the nature of his currently-equipped weapon, every time Inanna tried to deflect with her sword or shield, the holographic sawchain would give him a little boost in pushing them away, thus forming a seconds-brief opening. When he decided to stop the tests, he secretly materialized the remaining grenade and activated it. Continuing his faux-attack, he tried his best to show her the grenade, tricking her into focusing on the explosive. Suddenly, he threw the grenade behind her and jumped away. Taking the bait, Inanna turned around and raised her shield just as the explosion threatened to harm her.

" _Now!_ " Braylon took the opportunity to ambush her from behind. With the right hand holding her in a headlock, he raised his left to attack. "Oh no you won't!" He shouted just as her wings started flapping. Moving his focus on the left wing, Braylon decided to cut it off with Ripper. Between her screams and a mixture of blood and feathers, he was successful in ripping the wing off her back. After the deed was done, he used the holographic chaisaw to stab her through the heart, killing her.

"Gods... don't bleed." He said between breaths.

" _A for effort. F for one liner._ "

" _Come on! I was cool right there._ "

" _Great. Perfect. Now find the key._ "

" _Key. Right. I bet she has it near her throne._ "

Ascending the stairs to Inanna's throne, Braylon not only found the key, which was a sapphire blue skull, but also a loot chest containing a new weapon for his arsenal, along with ammo.

" _Say what? She had a damn Omni-Cannon stashed in here and she decided to go Amazon on me?_ " Braylon thought as he picked up the Hyperion sniper rifle. " _Well I sure as hell know a good use for this._ " He grabbed the skull-shaped key and went downstairs. " _Guess I have to go all the way back, huh?_ " Back where he fought Inanna and her underlings, a teleporter appeared in the middle of the room. All corpses vanished, leaving no trace.

" _Or not._ "

* * *

 **I have to be honest, I forgot to write the secondary firing mode in the Fornax description. But in my defense, I did say it would come back mostly unchanged.** **So for the chapter, how was it? Good? Bad? Care to comment? In any case, this was part one of three. Most of the fights were improvised in my head when I wrote them. I try to "see" them like a movie and then put my best effort into writing it down, with minor changes.** **Methinks this is it for the author notes. It always happens to me that I forget important stuff when I write it down, only to remember it literally minutes after I publish the chapter. Brains can be trolls.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #41:** Spectre

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Everyone likes to LARP from time to time. But even a hobby like that can turn into a mental disorder. What you witnessed was a Demon skilled in the art of Partial Invisibility, a technique that distorts reality around its user, making sure that mortal senses are unable to perceive it. Why Partial? Because it fails to affect the environment around it. Your eyes won't see the_ _D_ _emon, but they will be able_ _to see footprints. If you are not careful, you will end up becoming a snack._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #42:** Eurynomus

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Brothers who, along with Imps, are charged with gathering the corpses of fallen mortals to use them for Gore Nests. If they catch one alive, they will either torture them to death and eat their bodies, or bring them to the nearest Flesh Artist they find. If they ever overwhelm you, be sure to have one bullet for yourself. Just in case._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #43:** Mourning Wood

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Also known as the nightmare of every lumberjack ever. They are native to a reality where the moon can turn orange. I'm not even joking. That's the saddest part._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #44:** Lamia

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I remember this one. It was supposed to be an inside joke. You know, snake convinces a mortal to eat the fruit...no? Whatever. So, Lamia. Half snake, half human woman._ _The latter, as alluring to human men as possible. The former, used to strangle them to death. They used to form villages back in the day, where they would bring human males to copulate, before boiling them alive and use them as food._ "

* * *

 *******Entry #45:** Harpy

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Human women with wings and legs of a bird, gifted to them by forcefully tearing their original limbs and replacing them with those. They move in flocks and like to eat humans. Dumb just like a bird. All you need to know._ "

* * *

 ********Entry #46:** Kumiho

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Not to confuse with Kitsune. The two are nothing alike. Kitsune enjoy trolling occasional humans or get drunk. A Kumiho is bent on eating your heart or liver. Don't know why, though. Also, that seductive human form is just a lie. In reality, this being is nothing more than a sentient fox with too many tails. Speaking of which, you should be wary about those. More tails equals a stronger Kumiho._ "

* * *

 *********Entry #47:** Inanna

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _An ironic tool with an ironic life. A pawn worshipped by other pawns. She is just one of many creatures that tricked mortals into thinking they are deities. When a cult eventually forms around them, that cult becomes nothing more than our extended hand, doing as we please. For the trick to work, we simply pump these creations with more power than your average monster and let them to show off. Don't be tricked into thinking that you accomplished some hero-tier victory. Inanna's cult is long gone and its followers are down here. At least you can brag about bringing the janitor job to a whole new level._ "

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **\- Newest addition:** Omni-Cannon

 **Pistol:** Energy Pistol, Unforgiven

 **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **Energy Weapon:** Fornax

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **HWM:** Holo Ripper, Holo Claw, Holo Sabre


	18. The Sixth Circle

Having acquired the first key and killed the first guardian, nothing stopped the Vault Hunter from moving on to his second target, Moloch and his key. The teleporter, rather than bringing him to the gate, it brought him in a claustrophobically small hexagonal room made of large grey bricks. Dirt crunched below his feet as he leaned on one of the walls, staring at a small wooden gate on his right, sick due to teleporting himself.

" _I have to be careful with my ammo._ " He thought as he checked his PDA. " _Hey, can you give me some._ "

" _As soon as you step out of that rat hole._ "

" _...You are awfully helpful_ _with someone who is shooting your brothers._ "

" _It's not like you can actually harm them in any way. No need to question my reasons, slave. Do as I order._ "

Another voice jumped in, ending their conversation. It was low-pitched, yet it felt like listening to a human man.

" _And who you might be, oh mortal, that seeks to challenge Moloch in his domain?_ "

" _Who am I is of no concern to you. I came for the key._ "

" _So you seek to open the gate? I can't have you do that, mortal._ "

" _Doesn't matter. I will take it anyways._ "

" _Then so be it. My faithful allies will dispatch you to where you belong._ "

(Brutal Doom v19 – The Soundtrack – The Dave D. Taylor Blues (MAP08))

Ending their conversation was loud banging against the wooden gate, accompanied with beastly groans. Braylon took his Energy Pistol and Unforgiven, waiting for the inevitable. An axe broke through the wood, followed by sharp claws belonging to a humanoid hand.

"I will feast on your corpse, mortal!"

"Kill! Kill!"

" _Here they come._ " He gritted his teeth, readying his weapons. The same axe that broke through the barrier appeared once more, tearing through the remains. Former Humans and a Possessed Faunus pushed against each other, trying to be the first ones to reach Braylon, who had all time in the world to kill everything that moved. Bloody corpses cluttered the small hallway that lead to a room with another, much larger wooden gate, decorated with unholy imagery. The very moment he reached the gate and opened it, the walls on his left and right slid away, revealing two alcoves with two tall, dark red skeletons, both humanoid and both verbally expressing their rage in the form of never-ending screeches.*

A red fist approached Braylon's face before he could react, sending him flying against a wall. Something grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him on the floor, his attackers never ceasing to express their rage.

" _Not... good._ Ah!" A hand grabbed him by the leg. " _Too much... pain._ " It lifted him up and slammed against the ground. His Shield kept beeping furiously at the physical abuse, yet his soul was the one that received the worse end of the deal. He cried in pain as a pair of skeletal hands grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. The other pair punched him in the chest and back repeatedly.

" _No! I'm gonna... pass out..._ " Knowing that if he failed to find a way out of that situation he would suffer a fate worse than death, Braylon decided to stop struggling and to respond with an attack of his own by materializing Orphan Maker, pointing at the skeleton that held him by the throat and fire, shattering its frame, breaking several bones and scattering the rest. Braylon fell as the grip on his throat loosened. Immediately reloading his gun, he fired a second shot at the other skeletal demon. It only succeeded in splitting the upper body from the legs, which fell and quickly crawled towards him.

"Get! Off! Me!" Braylon shouted as he kicked the screaming demon away from him with his right leg. He fired once more and the skeleton crumbled. "Oh boy... now that was something." A black chest filled with ammo appeared just as he regained enough strength to stand up. It was filled with a variety of ammunition, including a small pack of sniper rifle bullets. With the room clear of enemies, Braylon was able to take the elevator platform hidden behind the gate that triggered the ambush. Once down, however, he fell victim to yet another ambush.

Walking forward with Orphan Maker in hand, Braylon was busy observing the hallway-resembling room filled with two rows of pillars, one for each side. The room itself was made of some jade-colored bricks while the pillars were stone grey in color, each adorned with sculpted human skulls or skeletons bent in unnatural positions. The walls themselves were giant mosaics depicting humans offering children to a bull-headed statue sitting on a throne, surrounded either with flames or with more humans.

He felt the earth below his feet tremble slightly. Concerned, he thought it was an earthquake. It was not after five small pillars made of some black rock shot out from the ground and formed a cage around him that he discovered the truth.

Standing approximately twenty meters away from him was an Arch-Vile. But unlike the Arch-Vile subtype he encountered in his earlier travels, this one's skin was tanned as was that pair of mouflon horns on its head. The hands were clasped together and pointed at his direction while also emitting a strange red light.**

" _He must be the reason why this damn thing appeared!_ " He tried to shake the makeshift cage, but stopped when two Reanimator Arch-Viles appeared from behind the pillars, ready to set him on fire.

" _Attack the Void Caller to break its concentration._ "

" _Right!_ " Braylon immediately swapped his gun for the newly-acquired Omni-Cannon, reloaded and took aim right as the Reanimators sent forward their columns of fire. A silenced bullet sailed trough the air at high speed and landed on the face of his jailor. The injured demon let out a deep, guttural cry of pain as it covered its face with both hands, red blood spilling in tiny rivers. The cage crumbled into dust and Braylon was able to jump forward as the two attacks fused together and formed an explosion that sent him flying forward, close to the new Arch-Vile.

Its palms were brought closer to the face, glowing red like before. All blood evaporated and the wound returned to the state before being shot. Now its disturbing gaze fixated itself on Braylon.

" _I think I made it angry._ "

The Arch-Vile brought its palms in front of itself, one hovering above the other. A tiny red dot formed between them, quickly expanding into a vortex that hid the demon from Braylon's view. Suddenly, the vortex began pulling Braylon towards itself like a vacuum cleaner.

" _I was wrong! It was already angry!_ " Braylon thought as he stabbed the Holo Sabre into the ground to block further advancement. However, the holographic weapon only managed to slow down his potential doom, certainly not the desired effect. " _I need to stop him somehow!_ " He looked forward and noticed the two Reanimators approaching him without any difficulty. It was obvious that it only affected him and not the environment or other demons. " _That gave me an idea._ "

As Braylon kept advancing closer and closer towards the vortex, he materialized the last grenade he had. Just like before, he activated it and waited before tossing it towards the new Arch-Vile. The grenade was pulled closer by the vortex and exploded rather than being sucked in. The Arch-Vile used its hands to defend itself, bringing an end to its attack.

" _Perfect!_ " Braylon picked up Omni-Cannon and fired at the demon's left shoulder, the explosive shot tearing its arm away. And before it could react, a second shot formed a large hole where the forehead used to be, banishing it back to Hell.

Braylon jumped back on his feet and moved his focus to the two Reanimators. While one sent fire columns at him, the other summoned four Possessed Corpses to its aid.

" _Not this again._ " He mentally groaned and jumped behind a pillar to avoid being set on fire, swapping Omni-Cannon for Orphan Maker as he did so. When he turned to check on the demons, he found only one Reanimator, the one with its small army of Corpses. " _Where is the other one?_ " He received his answer sooner than desired when the second Arch-Vile popped up from behind a pillar on the opposite side of the room, ready to deliver another attack. Braylon swore as he was forced to jump sideways, barely able to avoid the attack. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, the Corpses came too close for his comfort.

Rather than wasting precious shotgun shells on weak targets, Braylon decided to use the Energy Pistol, a gun that would achieve equal results with less costs, one headshot for one Corpse. Getting up, our Vault Hunter noticed the Arch-Vile's shadow creeping near his position. Having decided to catch the demon by surprise, he jumped sideways and pointed his shogun to the direction of the shadow only to see fire columns rushing towards him.

" _Shit!_ " Fear was stronger than his instincts, being caught by surprise, so rather than jump away, he simply positioned his arms in front of his face. It was useless as defense, for the fire swallowed his body. The pain he felt at that moment was beyond a human's ability to describe. Not even the best techniques he knew about how to avoid thinking of pain couldn't help. Even screaming was impossible.

And yet, despite the soul-crushing attack, Braylon was standing, although barely. As his body and surroundings fumed, the Arch-Vile chuckled and came closer, ready to deliver one final strike.

"B... boo... yah.." Was all what Braylon muttered before clenching his teeth and focusing all his strenght on lifting the arm with the Orphan Maker and pulling the trigger. His senses were failing him and he began feeling dizzy, yet he could somehow feel something warm splashing on his face, followed by a wet slap of something falling. He hoped it was the demon that turned him into that state.

He leaned on the closest pillar and tried to regain his composure. The second Arch-Vile was still somewhere in the room and in a state like that, he simply wasn't able to banish it. The pain was still present, never diminishing in its acuteness. It felt weird though. His body was completely fine but he felt like every bone was broken multiple times and every muscle torn to tiniest of shreds. He was actually sweating.

Braylon heard a sinister laugh faintly echoing throguh the room. Not good, he thought as he turned around and slowly made his way towards another pillar. Knowing that he stood no chance against the second Arch-Vile, his tactic was simply to go forward and out of the cursed place. He came to his fourth pillar when he noticed something glowing on one of the pillars from the opposite row. Squinting, he noticed that something was, indeed, glowing in red color. That something were the eye cavities of a skull. For some reason, it attracted him, so after breathing in and out a couple of times, he decided to make his way towards the skull, shambling like a zombie.

Almost reaching it, Braylon wondered what was the Arch-Vile doing. Seconds after thinking that, his eyes caught something glowing to his left. It was the demon he was looking for, ready to cast its signature attack.

" _I really had to jinx it, didn't I?_ "

He was panicking, not knowing what would come sooner; his goal or his death. Braylon extended his left arm forward towards the skull, as if the thing would run away and he had to stop it from happening. The columns of fire were halfway through the distance, but he still refused to give up. If he had to die and go back to Hell, he wanted to see what was that skull's secret. Why it had two glowing eyes. And when his fingers touched its surface, the skull retracted into the pillar and the pillar itself swiftly lifted upwards and into the ceiling. What was that skull's secret? The very last thing he thought he would see.

One of those blue spheres.

" _Wow. My fucking luck... right when I was about to... die..._ "

Energies were leaving his body. Further advancement was impossible, for his body started protesting. Also because he would die soon. Closing his eyes, he hoped for the best.

" _No... I have to... live..._ "

He was about to execute his last act of defiance. Hoping, despite knowing better, to survive just a little longer and prolong his miserable exsistence, he allowed himself to fall forward with his arm extended towards the sphere. Miraculously, his fingers barely brushed against the sphere's surface. Before he knew, his body received a surge of energy that helped him jump forward just in time to avoid being burned once again.

" _My God, that was a fucking miracle!_ "

A furious roar brought him back to reality.

" _Right. I will pray later._ "

His eyes found the Arch-Vile, angrier than ever. It was trembling with anger as its hands caught fire. Braylon swapped his Omni-Cannon for Ajax's Spear while it sent another attack in his direction. The Vault Hunter jumped sideways and fired a volley of explosive bullets into its chest, turning it into a bloody colander. "Into Hell you go!" He shouted as he fired once again. The Arch-Vile's body shook with each bullet, before falling on its back, with a pool of blood soaking the dead. Braylon stared at the corpse before stashing away his weapon and proceeding forward.

At the end of the hallway-like room stood a large black door, similar to those found on cathedrals. It required some of his strenght to push it open, since it was heavy. What stood in front of him was a stone boat dock with a lever at the end. In the middle of a lava river. In what was perhaps the largest cave unknown to mankind. His jaw dropped at the sight.

" _What... the fuck._ " He walked forward, moving his head left and right. The cave had several clusters of weirdly-shaped stalactites and a shore on the other side filled with dead trees and stalagmites. Suddenly, something grabbed his leg, he looked down and it was a red skeletal hand that rose out from the lava. Jumping slightly at the sight, he watched as the red skull rose from the molten rock and immediately began screaming.

"Aah! Get off! Get off! Get off!" He whimpered as he slammed the demon's face with his free foot. Despite receiving such a harsh treatment, it never stopped screaming, the grip being still too strong. He then took Unforgiven and drilled a hole into its head. For a brief moment, it stopped screaming and just shook its head, only to return to its previous behavior. It took two more bullets for the skull to crumble and the body to fall where it came from.

Huffing and puffing, our teenager rushed towards the lever, investing his hope into it being a way out of the death trap. He grabbed the lever and pulled as the unending cacophony of screams invaded his ears. Braylon looked back and saw three more skeletons attempting to swim out of the lava. Something rumbled on the opposite side.

" _What now?!_ " He turned his head again only to see a large disc-shaped platform rise out of the lava. Not waiting a minute longer than necessary, he jumped on the platform, which detached from the dock and followed the current. One skeletal demon ran foward and jumped, trying to reach him. To make sure that became nothing but unfounded optimism, Braylon materialized Striker and fired while it was in mid-air. The skeleton shattered and the bones fell below. Other two limited themselves to stare and scream in rage.

" _At least that problem's gone._ " He sighed and turned around. " _I wonder where will this thing take me to...?_ " Further down the river, Braylon noticed how the walls seemed to have large holes drilled in them. In normal circumstances, it would be yet another object of little to no interest. But those were no normal circumstanced and those holes could as well be disguised weapons. It made him uneasy as soon as the number of holes quickly grew. Then, immediately and without any warning, something flew out from one of the holes. Something that barely resembled a sphere, with red skin and a green eye. Something with a large maw stuck into an eternal frown. Something that roared as soon as it spotted him.***

" _Ugh, besides being creeped the fuck out, I also feel the urge to vomit just by looking it._ "

" _If you loose focus, he will vomit on you._ "

" _Har-dee-har, I-never-took-a-shower joke. Like I haven't_ \- " Braylon yelped at the sight of bile being shot in his direction. Luckily, he crouched, and the bile flew into lava. " _Was that what I think it was?_ "

" _Expect to see more of it._ "

" _Thanks for encouragement. You have no idea how much it means to me... asshole._ "

" _Now you are repeating yourself._ "

The only way he could hit that demon from such a large distance was to use the Omni-Cannon. But after he materialized said weapon in his hands, he noticed how more of them began flying out from their hideouts, like bees from a hive.

" _Honestly now. Fuck my life._ "

(God of War – Cliffs of Madness)

More individuals present meant more bile bullets to dodge, which not only annoyed him, but aiming was also much harder than necessary. The demons came closer with each moment and he was currently unable to stop them. He tried to find a rythm, a blind spot of sorts. No such luck.

" _Shit, I have to think fast. Otherwise I will be food for those maws._ "

Even if he knew how risky was his next move, he had no choice but to do it. Instead of moving around to avoid being hit, our Vault Hunter stood still and took aim as quickly as possible, pulled the trigger and jumped away. His bullet pierced the eye of one demon, which began screaming and firing its bile in random directions, before exploding into a bluish mist. Two remained.

Next one was far to close for Omni-Cannon, so three shots with the Energy pistol melted open the bulge located below the fleshy underside. Blood and organs fell into lava as the moaning demon slowly descended. It was finally banished with a no-scoped sniper shot.

A warm breeze sent chills down his spine. When he turned around, he stared directly into the cavernous mouth of a demon who managed to sneak behind him.

"No!" He shouted, firing more then five shots into its mouth, forcing it shut. Energy Pistol made way for Orphan Maker. A deafening blast shredded the beast's upper body into chunks, leaving behind a bloody mess of a mouth that collapsed on the platform.

When Braylon was about to engage the last demon in a fight, he noticed how an energy beam hit it from behind, causing it to rock back and forth. It turned around and screamed at whatever tried to hurt it. A second beam drilled a huge hole into its body, killing it. Braylon turned his eyes towards the source, only to see a bridge containing a Hell Knight and two humanoid demons with black growths for a hand.

" _Razers.**** Make them your first priority if you don't wish to end up like that eyesore._ "

All Braylon had to do when one Razer fired, was to move his upper body slightly to the left. But as he did, the second one fired, forcing Braylon to willingly fall dow to avoid being hit.

" _Damn. These ones are smart._ " He rolled away to dodge another laser and replied with a shot from Omni-Cannon. His target dropped down from the bridge. The Hell Knight, enraged, roared loudly before grabbing the second Razer, ripping its head off and throwing it at Braylon, who crouched. Since the head failed to do its job, it just threw the body at him. " _I need to fight smarter, not harder. That said..._ " With the help of his explosive sniper rifle, Braylon broke the bridge and the Hell Knight fell. "Woo! Take that, fucker!"

His cheering came to a halt when the Hell Knight's hand shot out from the lava and grabbed the platform. He watched as the monster went on top of the platform, skin and flesh badly burnt. When he was about to prepare for the inevitable aggression, the Hell Knight suddenly caught fire. Unnatural, green fire. The ear-splitting scream made Braylon cover his ears as the demon turned from a hulking brute into a charred skeleton that crumbled into dust. It was soon replaced with a wall of green fire followed by another demon. One strongly resembling a Baron of Hell. The fur on its legs was black as were the big horns and spikes that grew out from the shoulders, elbows and spine. It had a large mouth for a face that split the head in two. Its fists were constantly burning with green fire.*****

"I'm so screwed." He muttered quietly, before the demon smashed its fist on the surface of the platform, forming a wave of green fire that he had to jump over in order to avoid pain. Switching his current weapons for Ajax's Spear, Braylon fired at the demon, who chuckled despite receiving small wounds in its chest. "...Show off." Both of them moved their heads upwards when they heard demonic screams. More of those red things came out. Braylon was slightly blinded by the green flash as the Baron lookalike teleported from the platform and on the next bridge not-so-far ahead.

Surviving horde after horde of those red monstrosities proved to be more and more difficult. Whenever he would get rid of a group, another, bigger, would show up. Ajax's Spear, while powerful and precise, proved to be moderately effective against them, for their red armor-like skin, while not hard to pierce, reduced the inglicted damage. He fired at either the eyes or the underside whenever he could, making his life easier only to become harder when the demon from before started firing green fireballs at him. They had the bad habit of flying faster along with splitting into smaller ones. When the platform reached the second bridge, the demon vanished once again.

After passing the second, and last bridge, everything became deafeningly quiet. The platform continued to move where the current would take it. Strange when considering the fact that lava isn't like water. But then again, who knows where our Vault Hunter ended?

Some time later, Braylon spotted a large hole in the ceiling of the cave. Coincidentally, the platform stopped moving right below the hole and began ascending like an elevator. Right then, the demon reappeared along with two Lamias.

(God of War – Mind the Cyclops)

"Nothing can stop me from finding that key!" Braylon shouted. "You hear me?! Nothing!"

The demon threw a fireball. Braylon jump-rolled to the left and got hit with the snake tail with enough force to throw him at the edge of the platform, courtesy of the Lamia. While he was busy holding the edge to prevent his fall, the second Lamia came and raised its tail, intending to pierce him with it. Braylon waited for the moment when the tail went down. He moved his body to the right, materialized Holo Claw and stabbed it into the body of the monster. It screeched while bringing the tail back upwards. Braylon jumped on top of it, brought his foot down on its face until the upper body fell and decapitated it with Holo Sabre. Seemingly not caring for the death of its "sister", the second Lamia took the opportunity and coiled around him. The demon raised his hands, definitely preparing an attack.

" _She is trying to hold me down for the demon!_ " Braylon began squirming when he realized Lamia's attention. She even chuckled as if to confirm his suspicion. " _He wants to roast us alive!_ "

Like the last time it happened, Braylon had to resort to brutal lashing in order to escape. With the help of Holo Ripper, he caused several wounds at Lamia's snake body, forcing her to loosen the grip. He managed to climb out and jump away just as the demon clapped its hands together, forming a stream of green fire. Hearing Lamia's uncontrollable screaming as it caught fire and began rolling on the floor was something that would be ingrained in his memories for several days later, he thought. It eventually shared the same fate as that Hell Knight.

The demon roared furiously as it slammed its fist once again on the floor, repeating the attack and dodge from their first encounter. Braylon replied with a combined attack from Unforgiven and Energy Pistol. It growled in frustration before firing several fireballs in a row, each dodged with simple sidesteps. He swapped his pistols for Striker and fired a shot, which slightly stunned the demon in front of him. It was time to end the fight.

Braylon ran up to the demon while firing one more shot. It brought down its right fist, trying to squish him like a bug. He rolled under its legs, materialized Holo Ripper and cut its leg slightly above hoof. And while such a small wound seemed ineffective in inflicting pain, it did force the demon to kneel. He used the opportunity to climb on its back, swing around its shoulder by grabbing one of the spikes and buried the holographic chainsaw near its neck. It roared, suddenly standing up, trying to shake him off. The end result was him slightly loosing control, sliding down with Ripper still activated, which split the chest open and made him fall on the platform. The demon screamed so loudly as green blood kept falling from the wound. It held its hands close to the chest, made two steps back and dissapeared in a wall of green fire, as if it never exsisted in the first place.

Just as the battle ended, the platform reached its destination. It took our Vault Hunter into a circular room where the floor and walls were made of stone. There were four pillars where the surface was completely covered with sharp spikes, four demonic-looking faces sculpted in the walls and one giant bulge on the ceiling which resembled a tumor with teeth.

" _It's... quiet._ " Braylon turned around. " _Too quiet._ " He did it again. " _Where is everybody?_ " Something crashed behind him, causing an earth-shaking impact. He turned around for the last time and saw a figure barely hidden behind the veil of dust. When said dust settled, he saw the figure in all of its abominable glory. A red-skinned human with the head of a black-furred bull, wearing only a white skirt-like loincloth that reached the knees. The most disturbing feature were its incredibly human-looking eyes which definitely didn't belong on that type of head.******

"Moloch, I presume."

Moloch said nothing. Instead, he cracked his neck before talking.

"Surrender, mortal. My master demands it."

"How about no?"

"Good."

(God of War 2 – Glory of Sparta)

Moloch clapped twice and the demonic faces opened their mouths. Each released exactly one fireball which stood still as soon as it came out. Every fireball expanded until it burst into even bigger flames. Said flames died down, revealing four red-skinned humanoids with muscled physiques, glowing orange eyes and fire instead of a lower body. *******

"Come on. Not you too."

Moloch assumed a fighting stance. "If rebellion is what you seek, then I must reply with an iron fist."

"Sure. Whatever."

"Ifrits! Attack!"

The four humanoids chuckled, casting a larger, comet-like fireball in his direction which left a trail of fire on the floor behind it. Braylon jumped away and the fireballs crashed into Moloch, exploding. He came out unscathed. However, the trail of fire refused to dissapear, splitting the room in four parts.

One Ifrit approached Braylon, leaving behind burning floor, just like its attack. With a simple swing of a hand, it fired three fireballs at once and at fast speed. Haven't his instincts been that developed, he would have suffered third degree burns at that moment. The Vault Hunter materialized Ajax's Spear and fired. After he dealt enough damage, the Ifrit let out a sharp cry of pain as its own fire consumed it completely. Interestingly, all fire that belonged to it extinguished itself.

"You are just a mortal."

Braylon turned around when he heard the obvious provocation only to see Moloch delivering a fist straight to his face, sending him flying on the other side of the arena, near a pillar.

" _D...damn. Good thing he doesn't hurt like demons do..._ " Braylon thought as he stood up but he had to crouch in order to avoid getting hit by an Ifrit. " _Need to remove these bastards first if I want to deal with_ _head honcho_." He was about to focus on the demon when he saw Moloch lifting his hands up, setting them on fire then waving them forward as if throwing something. It was a technique to summon a giant wall of fire that headed for his direction. Knowing that Moloch's attacks were relatively weaker compared to a demon's, he decided to focus his attention on the Ifrit, letting the Shield to take care of it, since fire is innefective on such technology. Braylon materialized Holo Sabre, stabbed the Ifrit in its chest while being set on fire by Moloch's attack and fired from point blank range in its head with the Striker, banishing it.

"You are not worthy of challenging a god."

He felt something grabbing him by the back of the throat, lifting him up, punching his back, thus depleting his Shield and throwing him on the other side, next to two Ifrits. This time, though, he managed to land on his feet.

" _Wait untill I get my hands_ _around your throat_ _._ "

One Ifrit stood on each side, simultaneously throwing a fireball. Braylon rolled towards the nearest demon, switched his weapons for Holo Ripper, quickly stood up and pierced its chest. He then pulled it out and quickly went for the head through the jaw, ending its physical exsistence. Braylon turned around and charged straight at the last Ifrit in the room, dodging the demon's swipe and slicing one of its arms. While it held the open wound, Braylon materialized Orphan Maker and fired. The Ifrit was no more and all of the fire was gone.

" _And now for our friend._ "

Moloch ran up to Braylon and delivered a jab and an uppercut, which Braylon dodged with ease since they were slow. He never expected for Moloch to punch the ground, causing an explosion that sent him backflipping several meters away.

" _This is so fucking tiresome._ " Braylon complained mentally as he materialized Holo Sabre. " _Maybe I should wait for him to attack first..._ " He fired with his Unforgiven but Moloch sidestepped with abnormal speed, each time getting closer and closer to the Vault Hunter. After repeating the triple punch attack, one that Braylon now recognized, acting accordingly by jumping away at the third punch, Moloch's frame caught fire as he jumped into air. As soon as he landed, a massive ring of fire formed around him and spread all over the room. Since Braylon didn't know what would happen, he was forced to take the attack. It removed half of the battery, but Moloch seemed exhausted.

Braylon breathed in and out before rushing at his enemy. He grabbed Moloch mid rush and charged against the spikes of the nearest pillar, impaling him. There were no painful cries or moans that would satiate Braylon's rage, so he continued his rampage by stabbing Moloch's chest multiple times until one of his hands punched the Vault Hunter away, giving him time to free himself, even if now sporting multiple injuries.

"This is not enough to stop the me!" The monster shouted as he tore off a piece of the pillar and hurled it at Braylon. Enraged, he clapped once again. Braylon thought he would summon Ifrits again but that wasn't the case. Instead, the demonic faces would now open their mouths, spit a fireball at random and close them again, proving to be an environmental hazard.

" _Just what I needed._ " Braylon thought as he readied himself as Moloch formed a flaming longsword out of thin air.

"You will perish. Like every other mortal."

With each swing of his longsword, moloch was able to cast a wave of fire that inexplicably sailed trough the air. Braylon had to double his alertness, for now he had to care for yet another threat. Moloch swung his weapon four times before stabbing it into the earth, creating a pillar of fire wherever Braylon stepped. This would go on until he came closer and fired a shot with Striker.

Moloch instantly pulled the sword out and roared with all his might as his frame caught fire once again. He pulled back his sword then forcefully pointed its tip at Braylon. The flames on his weapon grew brighter before forming a fiery tornado that went towards the desired location. Our Vault Hunter had to thank the nearest pillar for saving his life, for it proved to be an excellent wall against such a devastating attack. Not everything was bad for him, because Moloch was once again exhausted.

" _Now or never!_ "

Braylon ran up to his target, jump-rolling forward to evade a swipe with the sword. He materialized Orphan Maker and fired. Moloch, stunned, loosened slightly his grip on the sword, allowing Braylon to grab it. Both parties struggled for dominance over the weapon, but it turned to Braylon's favor when he reloaded the gun and fired again.

Now that Moloch let go of the sword, Braylon turned it around, sprinted towards Moloch and impaled him. He ran as fast as he could towards one of the demonic faces that was about to throw a fireball and rammed both Moloch and the sword into the mouth. The fireball, which in normal circumstances would simply fly out, crashed into the monster's back as the mouth began closing. It wasn't enough, because Moloch held the mouth open with his hands, so Braylon had to replace Orphan Maker with Holo Sabre and stab him repeatedly until he gave up. Once that happened, the mouth, now malfunctioning, began chewing and burning the screaming beast. It came to a point where the mouth snapped Moloch in two, finally closing shut and defeating him once and for all

" _Damn... that was a bit too brutal for my liking._ " Braylon sighed. " _At least the nightmare's over._ _I only have to find the key and I can return to that gate._ "

With Moloch's defeat the tumorous growth on the ceiling opened its mouth and spat out a black and red chest shaped like a coffin. Inside, he found a ruby red skull, ammunition including two grenades and a laser weapon from his reality. A unique tool of destruction that people dubbed Excalibastard, a twisted reference to its sharp bayonet.

" _I might start liking this whole fighting-bad-guys stuff... just not today._ "

A piece of the wall retreated into the ground, revealing a hidden teleporter that would take him back to the main gate.

* * *

 **Two words. Doom. Eternal. I know. Basically modern version of Hell on Earth. Not that it will be any less awesome, mind you. Anyone noticed the Pain Elemental, Arch-Vile and the Arachnotrons? Seems like Barons also got an upgrade. Boy, I tell you. It's going to be even better than the 2016 version.**

 **So here is the second chapter of the arc. If anyone asks, Caconoids are basically the newer version of Cacodemons while a Fury is just a Revenant on steroids minus rocket launchers. At this point I feel like I can safely say it; I will include enemies from all games in the series. Well, not all of them because I have some of my own, but you get the point. But these special versions, like Hell Razer, probably won't get subtypes of their own, like classical ones will.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #** **48:** Fury

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Hatred is the greatest weapon ever created. Love moves mountains. Hatred flattens them. Hatred also gives birth to rage, an even more devastating emotion. When combined, these two can turn even the biggest of cowards into death incarnate. And believe it or not, some individuals are too angry to die. Take my brothers as an example. Some absolutely refuse to admit defeat at the hands of a mortal, to the point that, when they eventually return, their bodies reanimate themselves. Using the raw, brutal emotions of their ex-owners as an energy source, these bloodthirsty_ _vessels_ _go on relentless crusades against anything that is mortal in nature, slaughtering lesser beings with gusto that rivals that of our strongest brothers, feeding but never quenching their thirst for blood and death. All the while screaming to the heavens above, their twisted songs acting as reminders to mortals that even in death we still stand victorious._ "

* * *

** **Entry #49:** Arch-Vile – Void Caller

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Arch-Viles with a higher rank than Reanimators. Void Callers received that name because they learned to bend the void between worlds at their will, usually in the form of techniques you experienced yourself. Because of the nature of their sorcery, Void Callers don't have attacks of their own, at least not direct ones, so they limit themselves to being support units, either to massive groups of cannon fodder or few strong individuals._ _Another ability of theirs, which makes them primary targets whenever spotted, is complete revival of the nearest brothers. Yes. They are that annoying._ "

* * *

*** **Entry #50:** Caconoid

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _So you might remember how I talked about some brothers eating mortals for fun and their fate afterwards. Allow me to tell you that these ones are far from that. Caconoids and their ilk eat because they are eternally, mindlessly hungry beasts. Before they became living balloons, they used to starve mortals, often to death._ _How the tables have turned. Grotesquely, I might add. But even they pale in comparison to another, more disgusting tribe..._ "

* * *

**** **Entry #51:** Hell Razer

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Perhaps some of the smartest brothers I ever had. Unlike an Imp, a Hell Razer likes to turn one of his hands into a cannon capable of firing_ _concentrated Hell energy. Rarely you will find them jumping into fray with others. They prefer high and hidden places, where they can snipe off any unsuspecting victim._ "

* * *

***** **Entry #5** **2** **:** Dark Tyrant

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell - Hero

 **Description:** " _Sorvek, called "Dark Tyrant", was a brother that received his title of Baron thanks to destructive crusades he led against mortal races back then. Sometimes he would_ _convince mortals that he is a god and, when entire planets ended up worshipping him, he would order mass sacrifices in his name, killing millions without raising a single finger. After banishment, he used deception and trickery to drag down as many mortals souls he could._ "

* * *

****** **Entry #5** **3** **:** Moloch

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I never found out who programmed him to ask for human sacrifice. Not much is known about him, mostly because he was made in secrecy by others. Next._ "

* * *

 *********Entry #5** **4** **:** Ifrit

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _One can never say that we lack dedication and Ifrits are the proof. Ifrits, also known as Afrits or Efreets, are the greatest fire manipulators among our ranks. Their arsonistic tendencies help especially in crowd control situations or when we simply need to destroy everything. Just don't put them near trees. Remember, only you can prevent forest fire._ " (Increased Incendiary damage, immunity to Incendiary damage, extreme weakness against Cryo damage.)

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **\- Newest Addition:** Excalibastard

 **Pistol:** Energy Pistol, Unforgiven

 **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **Energy Weapon:** Excalibastard, Fornax

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw


	19. Meaningless Victory

Now that Braylon acquired the second key, he was free to return to the main gate, where they would complete their purpose. It was as quiet as he remembered, with the present corpses refusing to decay. His biggest concern was the amount of stress he put on his body because of the quests he imposed on himself. Physical fatigue was a risk he wasn't willing to take by any means. The only way to prevent a worst-case scenario, was to create a cocktail of drugs with the PDA that would keep his body in check. He knew of the potential dangers it could cause, but he didn't mind. Some things were more important than others.

" _So._ " The new voice came back after he finished. " _You really don't_ _w_ _ant to save your life, do you?_ " It asked as Braylon went towards the gate. " _I'm giving you a chance, mortal. Go back where you came from and I will forget your intrusion. If you open that gate, you will learn what it means to be my enemy._ "

" _I'm not going anywhere until I_ _stop this invasion._ " He replied as he inserted the first skull. " _It's my fault for_ _all of this. And it is my duty to stop it. Whatever the cost!_ " He inserted the second key and waited for the result. To his dissapointment, nothing happened, not even a click of some hidden mechanism or anything similar.

" _Have it your way._ "

The gate suddenly exploded outwards, sending Braylon flying to the other end of the room. Splinters crashed against walls and floor, emitting dozens of faint echoes. A veil of smoke spread from the gate's position. Braylon cursed silently, staring at the now-gone obstacle, recognizable fear grasping firmly his being.. A tall silhouette appeared, walking towards him. It didn't took long before the figure revealed itself. It was a red-skinned giant with black wild hair, wearing a loincloth made of the pelts of some unrecognizable beast and holding a spiked war club that ancient samurai used in battle. Reptillian yellow eyes, a mouth stuck in a snarl adorned with fang-like tusks and a pair of horns growing out of its forehead; Such unique features belonged to a specific type of demon known as Oni.*

" _That's a huge one._ " He thought as the Oni blew fire at him like a dragon. Luckily, he managed to crawl away just in time to avoid being hit. " _Another fire user. How do I defeat that gorilla? I doubt my guns can hurt it._ " The Oni growled in rage as it walked forward and swung with its club, missing the rolling target and hitting the wall, causing an earthquake. " _What strenght! Better be extremely careful with this one._ " Gripping the club tightly, it striked the floor, cracking it and prolonging the earthquake, before breathing fire once more. Again, Braylon evaded most of the damage but the fire reached his legs before he could jump at a safe distance.

He couldn't feel his legs.

" _It got me._ " He thought between surges of pain, with the Oni coming closer. " _Wait, maybe..._ "

The Excalibastard, a laser weapon he acquired after he defeated Moloch, materialized in his hands, aimed at the forehead and fired. Because it is a laser weapon, the Excalibastard is extremely precise, more than some sniper rifles can ever hope to be. When combined with the speed of a shot and its elemental ability to freeze targets rather than setting them on fire, as it is typical of a laser, you get a weapon that many wish to have. Is it a wonder, that the beam landed perfectly where he aimed? It didn't instantly freeze the Oni or anything like that, it isn't a Maliwan after all, but it was a perfect repellent against an immediate attack, because it walked backwards, moaning while holding its face.

" _Ouch, brain freeze._ " He joked as his legs stopped hurting. " _I just found your weak spot._ " Removing its hand, the Oni gripped tightly its club as it ran towards Braylon, who kept firing with his weapon. It took more than five headshots with Excalibastard to banish it completely. " _About fucking time. For a second I thought he would kill me._ "

With the threat now gone, the Vault Hunter was able to explore that area beyond the gate. Whatever it was, it became a ruin with piles of rubble. It was definitely a change of ambience from before. Nothing extravagant or magnificent. Just plain, old ruins. But even that paled to one single detail that helped Braylon understanding why exactly was there a need for such a complex gate.

Among the piles of dust and wasted construction materials lay an obsidian-black pillar, two to three heads taller than a human. It had a pile of sculpted skulls as a base, with two tiny Gargoyles on left and right, sitting on said pile. The surface of the shaft was covered with engraved symbols, except for one horned skull held by a pair of skeletal hands sticking out of it. As for the capital, it consisted of four horn-like tusks, each placed at one corner, with the tip pointing at a floating crimson-orange orb of light. It was a construct that the voice called "the Dark Totem".**

" _What does it do_?"

" _Think of it as an improved version of the Gore Nest but thrice as powerful. Now I understand how this place came to be. It is because of this_ _instrument._ "

" _Really_?"

" _Yes. A normal Gore Nest is unable do such a thing._ "

" _I... see._ " Braylon commented as he stared at the Totem. There was something unusual about it, that made Braylon shiver. Even the temperature in the room seemed to lower itself without an explanation. " _So... I guess this thing will bring me to where I need to go or...?_ "

" _A Dark Totem is always connected to a core, called Dark Obelisk. Using it, you will access to the reality where the Dark Obelisk is located._ "

" _And what can I expect there?_ "

" _What you saw here was nothing compared to what you will encounter there. Do not act foolish. You will be outpowered, outnumbered and outsmarted. Fighting is pointless, because you will die. You are useless to me if you die. Your only concern is finding the Dark obelisk. Destroy it and everything will return as it was._ "

" _Huh. Okay._ " Braylon gulped. " _What now?_ "

" _Now, plac_ _e_ _your marked hand on the skull and wait._ "

The mark on his hand started bleeding seconds after he grabbed the skull. He felt intense pain in his arm as the world around him started to spin, ending with a bright orange flash that blinded him completely. All of his senses simultaneously shut down. He couldn't see, smell or hear. If he was somehow wounded, he wouldn't know. It was an unique experience, not to mention a frightening one, for such a young mortal.

(Doom: Requiem – Map 12/Militant Reprisal)

His senses returned back to him. It felt like a sudden slap to the face. Unprepared, he gasped loudly as eyes readjusted to normality, able to see the unchanged Totem in front of him, blocking his view. The first response was to let go of the skull and turn around. His skin tickled, his ears buzzed and his nose felt itchy. " _God, that was worse than that stupid teleportation. Thought I was gonna loose it for a second._ " He thought, panting like a dog, eyes darting from one spot to another. " _Where am I, exactly?_ "

Ambience was, without a doubt, subject to change. Sky above was painted in bright orange as was the rocky-sand terrain that connected the black platform, on which he stood, with a set of stairs that led to a large, metallic door of a facility painted in lime green, just like the walls that surrounded him. A sign was painted on the door, an acronym, to be precise; UAC. The same acronym that can be found on his Energy Pistol.

Because the place was under invasion by unholy forces, grotesque additions weren't lacking. Corpses were torn apart, laying on the floor and stairs, all wearing strange green uniforms. Those more unfortunate ended up on a stake, with some still being alive, placed either on the roof or on the walls. One even ended up crucified near the previously-mentioned wall, with everything below the hips missing. An overwhelming number of flying creatures and demons infested the sky, crushing all of Braylon's nonexsistent hopes of survival below zero, a testimony that the infernal invaders left behind.

Fearing that a group of nearby Caconoids might have sensed him, Braylon began running towards the stairs, stopping when he saw one Lost Soul accompanied by two lookalikes; pitch black skulls with green, glowing cracks, eyes and fire, each sporting dark brown mouflon horns and each slightly bigger than the Lost Soul. *** He feared that they would bring their rage upon him, but was surprised to see the two lookalikes circling around the Lost Soul until all of them vanished in orange fire-light, spawning a creature that strongly resembled a Baron of Hell. It had two different pairs of horns, black like the rest of its body. It also had orange, pulsating cracks all over its frame, starting from the orange-glowing eyes, almost resembling trails of tears. He couldn't see its hands or hooves, because they were constantly burning with orange fire.****

Another reason why Braylon stopped was because of the metallic door that opened by itself. Someone clad in green armor and helmet ran out near the stairs, turned around and began firing at something with their rifle. A large hand suddenly grabbed their head and squeezed, crushing it. A moment later, the perpetrator showed themself to him. Braylon couldn't describe what he was looking at without sounding ridiculous. It was a demon, because of the fear effect, but it made no normal sense to him. It had five limbs, all with different types of hands, two heads, each equipped with a long, black tongue and grayish skin.*****

When he materialized Excalibastard to use it again, the demon on the roof fired an orange fireball at him. Even with the speed superior to that of a Baron's, the long distance allowed Braylon to easily evade the attack. The fireball hit the platform, melting a hole in it.

" _Fire that turns into lava?_ "

Braylon started sweating. Just like the voice told him, he was outnumbered and surrounded. His only way was blocked by two threats he never saw before while the air above was filled with things that made any kind of air travel impossible, including the group of Caconoids that did, de facto, sensed him and began flying their way towards him. The five-limbed monster leaped forward. Braylon, who stared at the demon's flying form, immediately took aim and fired, before jumping away from the trajectory of a Caconoid's bile blob. The freezing ray hit it in the chest and, thankfully, froze it completely. It crashed down, breaking into pieces.

The Caconoids kept their bombarding the field with their bile as Braylon ran upstairs. He took down one member of that group with Excalibastard while materializing Ajax's Spear. Reaching the top, he noticed two Eurynomus staring at the crucified corpse, which ran away when he heard a loud growl behind himself. He turned around but failed to see anything, only hearing footsteps. Knowing what that meant, Braylon fired in that direction, hoping to hit the desired target and stopping only when the demon returned visible as it dropped on the ground.

He opened the door and was met with a small squad of Former Humans and Corpses, standing in the middle of the reception room typical for such institutions. Before he did anything else, he gunned down the squad then closed the door behind himself. He leaned against the door and sighed in relief but cursed when he noticed a hole in the ceiling on the far left corner of the room, large enough for a Caconoid to pass through.

Not all threats were eliminated. He had three paths, with two of them blocked. Left path was blocked with burning debris and two new threats. The path forward was blocked by a random Ifrit that teleported into the room, summoning a wall of fire behind itself. As for the threat, the best way to describe it is to call it a burning corpse with embers for skin. It reminded Braylon of a Returner due to the ghastly ethereal green light emanating from the eyes and mouth.******

The two burning creatures dug their fingers into their bodies, tore a piece of their flesh and tossed them in his direction as a support for the Ifrit's own fireball. Braylon jumped behind a turned iron table on his right as the burning flesh, combined with the large fireball, exploded in an inferno of gargantuan proportions, completely blocking the way back.

" _My only_ _option_ _is to take the right door._ " He thought while dematerializing Ajax's Spear and reloading Excalibastard. After he jumped out from his cover, his first shot hit one of the burning humanoids, which exploded as well. Second shot killed the second monster. Dodging another of Ifrit's attacks, Braylon opened the door and closed it behind himself. He heard loud banging on the other side. He payed no mind as he went downstairs and turned left.

As it turned out, the F-shaped hallway had many options to choose from. To his right was an area he couldn't see; his closest option. Few meters forward stood a metallic door with bloodstained claw marks. Down the hallway stood another door and then there was the second area to the right. He didn't have a lot of time to make choices, because the door at the end of the hallway opened, revealing a small group of Returners that resembled 18th century soldiers of the British Army, armed with muskets. He had to take the first area on the right. There, near a mutilated corpse, stood two Peons along with a leathery brown Imp, who also had a mouth, spikes growing from its body and two blood red eyes. *******

He disposed of them when he fired the first shot into one of the Peons, banishing it, then ran up to the second while dodging a fireball from the brown Imp, stabbed its head with the bayonet then fired a shot that went through said head and straight into the third Imp, freezing it. Removing the bayonet, he used it again to break the frozen Imp into pieces. Done with that task, Braylon decided to take a look at the outside area through a window. He saw an excavation site near a burning building, infested with all kinds of demons.

" _Guess that hole in the ground is where I need to go..._ "

Turning around, he leaned on the wall and peeked slightly in the direction of the firing squad. However, the wall on the opposite side of the hallway suddenly exploded as a Hell Knight charged through, surprising the Vault Hunter and throwing him on the ground, disarmed. The Hell Knight came forward, grabbed Braylon and smashed him against the wall two times then tossed him in the same hole it came out of.

" _Damned, brainless..._ " He cursed mentally as his face rose from the ground. Braylon frowned when he noticed a large shadow in front of him. Raising his head, his jaw fell as he saw yet another type of demon. Physically, it resembled a Bull Demon but large, bulky and muscular, almost resembling a wild boar with pinkish skin and red, beady eyes. ********

" _I hate this day. Whichever it is._ " The demon immediately opened its mouth, trying to bite his head off. He cursed loudly as he rolled away seconds before its mouth closed. "Not today, pal!" He shouted, materializing Striker. "Now go back to-!" He fired a shot at the thing's head, stunning it but nothing more. "...oh." The demon shook its head as Braylon ran out of the room and back into the hallway. " _I'm not dealing with this shit!_ "

Adrenaline clouded his rational side of the brain, so only after he went back to the hallway did he remember that both the firing squad and the Hell Knight were still present and waiting for him. And now there was that pinkish creature behind him. In order to evade another volley of shots, our Vault Hunter rolled forward, thus coming near the Hell Knight. He didn't want to turn his eyes away from the giant in front of him, but the loud footsteps behind him aroused his curiosity. It was that pink abomination, charging at him like a very angry bull. Braylon jumped sideways, more out of instinct than out of will. The demon, rather than hitting Braylon, smashed against the Hell Knight and both destroyed the wall behind them, falling somewhere outside.

Being free from a big weight, Braylon grabbed Excalibastard and dematerialized it while also switching Striker for Ajax's Spear and one grenade. He used said grenade to blast away the Returners, waited for the Condemned to appear, then banished them all with his assault rifle, clearing the path. Walking forward, the metallic door opened by itself, revealing a Pain Elemental with thick white fur, apparently waiting to ambush its next victim. (*) Braylon immediately retreated back into the area from before as the Pain Elemental spat three ice shards from its mouth, glowing with the same color as the fur. He managed to reach cover before being hit.

" _Where did that bastard come from?_ " He peeked around the corner, seeing how the demon slowly flew its way to him. Grabbing his Energy Pistol, the Vault Hunter jumped out from his cover and fired from both guns. Meanwhile, some Imps and Former Humans tried to walk out from the same room where the Pain Elemental waited. His bullet barrage caused the floating abomination to drop to the ground. Immediately after he ran behind cover once again, the Pain Elemental exploded. Braylon watched in awe as a large portion of the room was suddenly covered in ice and snow. When he turned to deal with the remaining threats, he found out that the rest of the group was completely frozen still.

" _Damn..._ " Not wishing to taste his luck, he broke every ice statue he could find before moving on to the passageway, which lead to a small circular room with an exit door. Two things happened simultaneously as he stepped into the room. One, a wall went down, revealing a tiny room with two of those five-limbed demons he encountered earlier. And two, the exit door exploded, forcing Braylon to retreat. The pitch-black demon from the roof, or at least its lookalike, was responsible for that explosion, proved when it was the only demon that walked in.

" _Un-fucking-believable._ " He cursed mentally as he fired at one the fastly-approaching mismatched demons, blowing away one of its heads. It didn't stop it from trying to kill him though. As he killed it, by destroying the other head, the black demon threw a fireball that may or may not have been inteded for the second one. Whatever its intention was, it managed to burn its own ally into a charred corpse. " _Sucks to be him._ "

The black demon roared as it smashed its fists into the ground, sending a wave of explosions in Braylon's direction. Unable to retreat in time, the explosions threw him into the wall of the passageway. At least he was able to stash his weapons, otherwise they would be damaged beyond repair. Almost loosing consciousness from the sudden trauma he experienced, Braylon tried to crawl away, behind a safe cover, but it was futile. The demon nearly reached him and, should he fail to invent a strategy, he would most likely wish he never exsisted.

Fornax was the only answer his mind came up with. At first, he wasn't willing to use it, because he feared that he wouldn't have enough ammo for it when it would be really useful. But when he heard the unmistakable screams, cries and moans of Imps, Former Humans, Bull Demons and even Furies, emanating from the room, he was more than happy to empty what little ammo he had. So when the black demon extended its arm towards Braylon, who secretly materialized Fornax and hid it under his body, ready to deliver one last strike, the Vault Hunter suddenly turned around, screaming as he fired plasma at his attacker. When it was damaged enough, it let out an echoing cry as its body ruptured into orange fire, turning itself into an inferno that lasted only seconds before extinguishing itself, leaving no trace of the demon's exsistence. Curiously, Braylon thought he saw the fire moving in such a way as to form an angry demonic face just a moment before vanishing into nothingness.

The pain made it hard for him to move, yet he was still able to release plasma into the horde. Some, like the Furies, turned to ash. Others were burnt to a crisp. The flesh of some simply evaported or liquefied. He didn't know the exact number, but it was beyond twenty for sure. Braylon kept his finger on the trigger, never moving his eyes away from the horde. When the ammo ran out, he simply swapped Fornax for Ajax's Spear. He even threw the last grenade he had, removing seven entities and heavily injuring four. It went on for what felt like an eternity, to the point that he thought he would ran out of ammo before his enemy ran out of cannon fodder.

Their number slowly dwindled as he continued gibbing demons with explosive bullets. When the last pair of brown Imps were banished, all that was left was a room filled with corpses and enough gore to paint a whole town in red. During this time, his injuries healed as well, allowing him to proceed. It took caution when he walked towards the exit to avoid slipping on the blood or organs. Filling two nearby Harpies with bullets, Braylon ran towards the nearest cover he could find; a pile of wooden and iron crates neatly stacked near a large excavator.

On his way there, he switched the assault rifle for Striker, killing a Lost Soul that flew towards him. A brown Imp jumped down from a crate and towards him but was gibbed mid-air with a shot. The other two Imps on another crate limited themselves to throwing fireballs at him. One Hell Razer stood on top of the excavator, firing death beams at the mortal.

Braylon thought that the site would be somewhat cleared after he annihilated the horde, but he was very wrong. Pain Elementals, Lost Souls and Caconoids were flying in the sky while the ground was infested with several Abominations, Zombie Pigmen and other demonic filth. Two types in particular caught his interest. One looked like a black Imp, but with monkey-like frame, a tail, a mouth similar to an insect's and small limbs attached to their bellies. (**) The other also looked like an Imp, but was hunched over and had hook-like arms. This one was capable of teleportation. (***)

A high-pitched screech made Braylon point the Striker upwards, where a five-limbed demon was about to leap down on him. Secretly materializing Orphan Maker behind his back, he pointed the Striker at it, but was swatted away as the demon threw him on the ground. "Surprise!" Braylon yelled when he suddenly brought out Orphan Maker and fired, tearing the demon in half.

" _I believe I told you how you should focus on finding the Dark Obelisk._ "

" _Easy for you to say. There's a fuckton of them!_ "

" _That is your problem. Not mine._ "

Braylon growled as he got up, reloading his gun and dematerializing Striker. A pinkish Bull Demon lookalike appeared from around the corner and immediately charged at him just as one of those hook-armed Imps teleported in front of him. Jumping sideways, he let the two entities crash against each other and began running for the large cave-hole in the ground.

As he ran, his eyes briefly moved towards the burning building somewhat far away from him. An Oni walked out from said building, accompanied by several Hell Knights. When the Oni spotted Braylon, it grabbed one of the Knights, bit its head off and tossed the corpse at him like tossing a rock. Thankfully Braylon was faster, so the corpse landed somewhere behind him. However, as he moved closer to the hole, he noticed four metallic barrels standing close to it and one Baron of Hell on the opposite side, trying to hit Braylon with one of its green fireballs. The first fireball missed him completely. The second missed him again, but went straight for the barrels.

" _Uh-oh._ "

The barrels exploded violently, throwing our Vault Hunter into the cave dug out by the people of that reality. Earth itself shook briefly, before closing the way back with a huge pile of rocks.

(Doom 64 – Alpha Quadrant)

" _Every fucking time._ " Grumbling like an old person, our Vault Hunter dusted himself off, unharmed. His eyes became saucers when they caught a glimpse of his current surroundings. The entire man-made cave was dark red in color, similar to blood. Black candles formed a path that led somewhere deeper into the earth, deeper into the darkness where every inch of his body feared to tread, telling him to turn around and walk away. Everything was fine. He could find another way. " _D... don't tell me..._ "

Every now and then he would hear faint, unintelligible whispers that were neither angry or cheerful, often accompanied with a short burst of hot wind, adding to the already unbearable conditions.

" _The terraforming proce_ _s_ _s turns worlds into something like what you are seeing right now. This is the first step for devouring a whole reality._ "

" _Devouring a whole reality?_ " Slow footsteps inside each circle of light increased in speed with each transition. After all, darkness had eyes, ears and mouths.

" _Follow the road. You should be close to the Dark Obelisk._ "

Someone screamed in the darkness, not far away from him. Orphan Maker found itself pointing at the nothingness that surrounded Braylon. The nearby candles flickered.

" _Wait, I'm stupid..._ " Ordering his PDA to activate the night vision, Braylon blinked once, letting his eyes to modify. " _What? I can't see through the darkness!_ " Another scream. This time, it was behind him. " _How am I supposed to fight against something if I can't see it?_ "

Moving to the next island of light, Braylon returned his vision to normal. Something was watching him in the darkness. Could it be demons? He would be under attack if that were the case. And what if it was a clever trap? His enemy was, in all honesty, a force as old as time, that knows how to weaponize a mortal's weakness. A sudden brown Imp that jumped out from its hideout brought his mind back into reality, as Orphan Maker effortlessly banished it. Another one appeared shortly after, only to meet the same end.

The road of candles ended when Braylon reached a small outpost, near a gargantuan platform that led down into the abyss. There was a computer on a metallic table, under a tent, near a bed and few crates. Not that the sight made him calmer, despite the fact that few electric lanterns made the area more visible.

Braylon approached the computer. Perhaps he would find out how exactly a demonic invasion happened that caught them so unprepared. What he found instead was a pentagram on an orange background filled with overlapped symbols, constantly changing between various levels of brightness. He could also hear a strange, low humming noise emanating from the device, almost like a grunting animal.

A frightening scream raised his attention as one demon with hooks for arms teleported just few meters in front of him, near the wall to the opposite side. He couldn't even raise his gun properly and the demon vanished once more, reappearing slightly closer to him. Braylon was prepared, so he pulled the trigger, but it teleported once more. While he began inserting two new shells into the barrels, the demon reappeared even closer and leaped at him with the agility of a feline. However, Braylon grabbed the metallic table with one hand and threw it forward. It slammed into the table, not expecting such an improvised move, allowing Braylon to finish reloading and pull the trigger again, tearing the demon into chunks.

" _In general, try to avoid getting surprised by Wraiths._ "

" _Uh-huh. Now where do I go?_ "

" _Down, obviously._ " Sighing, the Vault Hunter walked to the platform, pushed a button and waited for the descent. Other than machines, nothing else made a sound. He grunted, checking on ammo and the Orphan Maker repeatedly, sometimes even scratching himself swiftly before clutching the weapon even tighter. Despite receiving a brief moment of peace, he still felt as if he was being watched. Whispers became more frequent as he descended further down. He wished to ignore them, yet his heart raced in his chest, expecting something to happen. Then, a demonic laugh echoed through the cave, so loud that he thought it came from somewhere nearby.

" _In the end, I knew that one of them would betray me and confess everything. I also knew that_ _you would send someone to deal with the "problem". You were never known as a type who likes competition, after all._ "

Finding bravery, Braylon responded to the taunts.

"Stop hiding behind others and show yourself!"

Another laugh, even creepier than the last. " _And you must be his new pawn, correct? What did he promise_ _this time? Wealth? Power?_ _Fame_ _... Freedom?_ _Why are you so surprised? Do you honestly think we would g_ _et_ _this far without necessary knowledge? Truly depressing. Didn't Anathema warned you all to never trust one of us?_ "

"I don't understand, what did we ever do to you to deserve all of this?!"

" _You are in the middle of things you will never be able to comprehend anyways. Why should I bother with explanations then? Even now you serve your puppeteer without even knowing whom he is._ _Not that it matters now._ "

Two monkey-like Imps teleported on the platform as a powerful earthquake shook the whole site.

" _He thinks that two Vulgars will be enough to stop me. For being a brother, he truly doesn't know me._ "

The Vulgar on the left stood on two legs as its right hand formed a blue plasmaball, hurling it at Braylon who sidestepped, only to be attacked by the second one with a swipe of its claws. It hurt, but he couldn't reward himself with rest, so he decided to reply back with a shot from Orphan Maker, sending it flying off the platform. Throwing out the empty shells, Braylon was forced to roll sideways as the last Vulgar leaped forward. When it landed, Braylon banished it with a shot.

" _I really like this gun._ "

An orange pentagram appeared on the platform, forming black smoke out of which a new type of demon came out. It was dark pink in color and reminded Braylon of a Pain Elemental but with two mouths instead of arms and a black horse-like mane. It gave off a sinister laugh before taking flight. (****)

Braylon immediately switched Orphan Maker for Omni-Cannon and fired a shot. It tore off a chunk of meat from the body, inflicting some pain that was, unfortunately, not enough to prevent it from spitting out two black Lost Souls like the ones on the roof. Even the new Lost Souls were an unpleasant surprise, as they flew around, trying to hit him with small green orbs, rather than charging at him like "normal" ones. They were harder to hit because they were faster, yet he managed to banish one of them. When he saw that the new Pain Elemental was about to summon two more demons, Braylon quickly aimed for its eye and pulled the trigger. This type exploded too, but the explosion was far more powerful, to the point that it destroyed the last black Lost Soul that, accidentally, was nearby.

" _I need to watch out for these fucking guys._ "

The platfrom stopped its journey when it reached the bottom. Braylon was standing in front of some strange ruins where another site was abandoned. This one had three corpses scattered randomly around the area. Going past the ruins, our Vault Hunter found a wall shaped like a horned skull with multiple eye-sockets, where the teeth acted as a gate of sorts. Before he could come closer, another threat teleported in front of the teeth-gate. A large Bull Demon with orange skin, multiple mouths and four hands. (*****)

"Ew. From which hole did you crawl out from?"

A roar came from every mouth of the horrifying demon, each with different vocal range, forming a cacophony where each voice had no relation or harmony with each other. It was so unbearable, that Braylon had to close his ears in pain. He saw the creature charging forward, never ceasing to scream. When he was about to dodge, he found out that he couldn't move, so he suffered a full-force blow of the demon. Before he knew, he was facing the ground with unending pain. The demon pulled him up with one of his mouths and tossed him into a wall. After that, it continued to scream.

" _Stop! I can't take this anymore!_ " Braylon screamed mentally as he lay down, unable to move a finger to defend himself. The demon ran up to him and picked him up again with one of its mouths. It also stopped screaming as it thrashed with Braylon left and right like a dog with a piece of meat.

Braylon wanted to end it all, to end the pain. It felt like its teeth tried to crush his soul. With the Shield's battery depleted, its teeth sank into his body, making him scream and curse through clenched teeth. In a fit of anger, Braylon shoved the Omni-Cannon into one of the mouths and pulled the trigger. The demon suddenly dropped him down and took few steps back, stunned by the sudden attack. He wished nothing more than to take revenge on the demon that caused him pain, so he stood up as fast as he could, reloaded and fired again, blowing several holes into the demon's body. Now all bloody, the demon swung left and right, its mouths twitching soundlessly. Braylon came up to it, shoved the barrel into its head and fired for a thrid time. The resulting shot tore its head apart with brutal efficience. When that nightmare was over, the teeth-gate opened.

" _This is your chance, mortal._ "

" _Yes... just... just give me a minute... to... catch my breath._ "

" _I don't have a minute. Move it._ "

One step, then another. The Vault Hunter's wounds slowly healed themselves as he stepped through the final line of defense, the final obstacle that divided him from the goal. Somehow, he ended up in a large dome-shaped arena. The ground below was made of sandstone while the walls were dark red, some parts adorned with hanging bodies or alcoves filled with skulls. Moreover, the ceiling was alive, featuring blackish-purple clouds, with red and green thunder, shaping demonic faces that expressed hatred, anger, bloodlust. It was all so horrifying that Braylon barely controlled himself from passing out, reminding him of the place where he would never dare to return.

What he was looking for, the Dark Obelisk, was in front of him, on the other side of the room, inaccessible due to a lava river dividing it from the rest of the area. It was a tall structure, above three meters, made of some obsidian-black stone just like the Totem, with a cluster of orange crystals on top. Features were many, either carved out from the shaft or sticking out of it like an addition, including: demonic monsters, figures in dramatic poses, a giant snake-like dragon, stylized fire, skulls, skeletons, tentacles, spikes. If entropy could have a body, it would be the Dark Obelisk, for it was pure, eldritch chaos and madness compressed into abnormally perfect order, where each detail was both crucial and minor, where sanity met insanity. (******)

The Obelisk wasn't the only thing present. There was also a demon with its back turned, as if it failed to notice him. It too, was tall, for a head taller than a Baron of Hell. It even looked like one. Where the fur would be, it had only tanned skin while the red-skinned upper body had silver trails painted all over it, like some tribal marks. It raised its head as it turned around, revealing a snoutless face and a silver pendant worn around its neck. Unlike a Baron, its eyes were gold yellow in color.(*******)

" _And so, a puppet ventures into the heart of the lair, intending to ruin everything because its master said so. Is it a wonder, then, that mortals are so despised?_ "

Braylon took Unforgiven and aimed it at the demon. "I can't let this insanity continue any longer. Even if it is my fault, I refuse to take responsibility. I will find a way to stop all of this!"

" _You speak as if you actually have even a modicum of_ _chance to succeed. What makes you think you can defeat even one of us?_ "

"And yet here I am after I blew a hole in your army." Saying that, the Vault Hunter fired a shot. The demon raised its right hand, forming a green orb. "My bullet didn't hit you?" As a response, the orb detached from its palm, creating space for another orb. After the fourth has been created, all of them began circling around its body, like some protective shield.

" _Simple._ " Braylon blinked and, in half a second, the demon was inches away from him, with its fist aimed straight at his stomach. Braylon's eyes widened, blood shooting out from his mouth like water from a hydrant as the punch pushed his stomach into his body, sending him flying across the room.

(Dark Souls 3 – Yhorm the Giant)

" _I refuse to act._ "

Braylon slowly raised his head, bleeding heavily. " _What the hell? He went through my Shield? He can do that?_ "

" _Give up, mortal._ "

It slammed its right leg on the ground, forming a web of glowing green cracks that spread all over the floor, with one heading straight for Braylon, who barely managed to roll to the right as the cracks erupted into green fire, vanishing after several minutes. He was staring at the floor, so he was unable to see the demon, who turned him around and grabbed him by the neck, lifted up and threw him at a wall. Our Vault Hunter crashed into said wall, a worsened situation when the demon, with a simple push of a hand, shoved him deeper into it. He felt something snapping into his body.

" _Scream all you want. Nobody will come to your rescue. You aren't worth it._ "

Seeing a creature's fingers wrap around a skull is always a frightening sight. We can only speculate how must the victim feel at that moment, especially when said creature lifts them up and slams them into the ground with enough force to make a small crater. Braylon raised a shaky hand that was brought down instantly as it stomped his chest with a hoof.

He couldn't scream even if he wanted to. The blood was almost choking him and the hoof didn't help at all. Strenght began slowly leaving his body, his soul burning with indescribable pain. For a moment, he thought about giving up.

" _I am shocked, brother. Do you think I am such a weakling that I would be defeated by the first fool you send to me? A mortal one, at that._ "

Braylon, without reason and by pure coincidence, turned his head to the left. His vision, while blurry, gave him a faint spark of hope. He couldn't see it earlier, because the demon was in the way. It was a staff with an object on top, red and shining like a lightbulb. How could he reach it was his concern. The demon would probably do everything it can to stop him. No plan he could, hardly, come up with was guaranteed to work. Those green orbs, he thought, would attract any bullet he fired, making guns useless. His only solution was to surprise it with a hand-to-hand attack.

" _Goodbye._ "

The demon lifted its arm towards him, creating a fireball in its hand, tiny as a speck of dust but slowly growing in size. Braylon, thinking it was distracted, mentally ordered his PDA to start pumping drugs that would ease the pain and give him an energy boost, because his eyes were nearly closed and would most likely never open again should he loose his consciousness. When the fireball reached the size of a human skull, Braylon felt a surge of strenght in his body, quickly materializing Holo Sabre and stabbing the demon's leg, slightly above the hoof. It didn't express pain, but it did take several awkward steps backwards, allowing Braylon to stand up and run as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast as pain was still present, towards the staff. A green pentagram appeared before him, erupting into a pillar of green fire and forcing him to bypass it, loosing precious time he acquired. The instant he passed the first pillar, another one appeared. Again and again. Nevertheless, he was stubborn, refusing to surrender. Especially when he was close.

He could see it better now. The red object was something akin to a crystal sphere, with a glowing red pentagram and strange red mist closed inside it, shining brightly enough for Braylon to stare curiously. He raised his right hand, wishing to touch its surface, as it would somehow solve his problems if he did that. But something happened. Something Braylon was too distracted to realize by himself. The demon threw a fireball, striking him in the back.

Braylon was stuck. He couldn't move. His hand began shaking as his head shot upwards. It felt ten times worse than anything that demons inflicted on him in the past. He didn't know if it was possible or not, but he felt his own soul crying out in pain, not just his body. It was a whole new level of emotions that a mortal should never be able to feel, yet he did. His legs gave up and he found himself on his knees. Without even realizing, he found himself laying on the ground, hearing thumping noises as the demon reached him.

" _For all this time, you thought you could challenge one of us and come out victorious. You failed to understand the truth. You failed, because we wanted you too._ " The demon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. " _How could you possibly think that a mortal like you can compete with beings that can shape reality as they see fit? Every technique, every strategy, every method of warfare you mortals came up with was our creation. Accept the reality, before your soul falls into the cursed abyss, where it shall suffer, like all others already do._ "

His body reached its limits. He could barely move a muscle. Not even the drugs could help. As the demon slowly crushed his windpipe, Braylon, in a last act of defiance, swung weakly with his legs. Ubeknownst to him, one of his legs scratched the sphere's surface. His eyes widened as his body temperature rose, his heart started beating uncontrollably and his mind was ravaged with thousands of images, all depicting demons commiting atrocities on both human and xeno. All pain gone, his anger, now free of any inhibitors, exploded in the form of uncontrollable screaming that promised vengeance, suffering and murder to the one who wronged him.

" _This farce ends now, mortal._ "

(God of War: Ascension – Warrior's Truth)

Grabbing the demon's arm with his own, Braylon used his free hand to grab a nearby orb, squeeze it to fit into his fist and deliver a punch straight to the demon's face. The green-colored explosion made it loose its grip on the mortal, taking two steps back. Braylon, now free, stared at his scorched hand, unable to feel anything other than rage.

The demon leaped forward with a straight punch. Braylon moved sideways, wrapped his left hand around its arm and pulled it down with surprising ease. Then, he began punching its head and hammering the arm, continuously switching between the two. When he was about to punch its head once more, the demon grabbed his hand with the other, free hand. Braylon headbutted it three times before freeing his hand and using it to grab its jaw. With a barbaric, bloodthirsty roar, he dislocated the jaw before tear it away, along with all of the skin from face and neck, down to the chest. It finally freed itself when it punched Braylon away, who landed on his feet. It showed no signs of pain whatsoever, instead proceeding to form the same fiery cracks as it did before.

But Braylon couldn't care less, for he crossed his arms in front of himself and charged forward, through the fire, until he reached the demon. Crouching to avoid a swipe of the hand, the Vault Hunter jumped, uppercuting his enemy. He then materialized Holo Sabre and shoved both the Sabre and his left hand into its chest, slicing bone and flesh until he reached the heart, tearing out. It was twice as large as human's, so he had to hold it with two hands.

" _Hmph. No matter. I may return to that cursed prison. Waiting a century more or less is irrelevant to me._ _I will get out again. As for you... you... will never be free._ "

He replied by crushing the heart with his bare hands.

"Mnnnnoooorrrgh!..."

Its frame was completely enveloped in green light as its flesh burned away, leaving behind a clean skeleton that crumbled on the ground into a pile of useless bones. Braylon noticed how the demon left behind its necklace, so he picked it up. It consisted of a tear-shaped, dark red gem placed in a silver disc. He stashed it into his pocket before turning around to face the Obelisk. Two tiny platforms rose out from the lava river, granting access to the demonic device.

" _Shatter the crystal cluster and you will be done._ " Braylon growled in response, climbing his way to the top. Several hits with his bare fists broke the cluster to pieces.

(God of War 2 – Main Titles)

The orange crystals fell from the giant Obelisk, shaking the earth below as they did so. Soon, the whole place became more unstable than a castle made of cards. The lava river grew exponentially, devouring anything that was too close. Thunder raged in the clouds above as the sky itself began moving in a spiral, sucking everything into the giant rift it created, even Braylon. In a blink of an eye, he lay on the floor of the familiar-looking forest, staring at the rift that hid the branches. Before it closed, it spat out a long metallic tube that fell on top of him. It was a rocket launcher of sorts.

It didn't matter now. What was important was his victory. Even if futile, it granted him big satisfaction, knowing that he managed to do the impossible, or at least that's what he thought. Funnily enough, his mind only now told him that he was on a field trip and that others were probably searching him for hours, if not days.

" _Guess I... kinda forgot about that... heh..._ "

With the last remaining ounce of strenght, Braylon gave his device the order to send out a distress signal that the locals should be able to find with their technology. He could finally close his eyes for good. A nap was what he needed. His final thoughts were about them discovering him in that state. He concluded it was something future Braylon needs to deal with.

" _Good night... everyone..._ "

* * *

 **I am proud to present to you my biggest chapter I ever created; 8,044 words! (without counting the AN) It was a bitch to write, to be honest. Took me days of writing and planning.** **Now I am happy to share it with you all. So worth it. As always, feedback is appreciated.** **Before you ask, no. I have no idea when the next chapter will come out. It seems that I need to think this through very carefully, choose a direction where I want this story to go. Probably it will be a filler chapter, just to shake off this pressure from the arc.**

 **In this chapter I decided to introduce more monsters than in the previous one, for reasons stated in the story. The brown Imp is your "standard" Imp from classic games, although I have to admit that the one shown in Doom Eternal also fits well, so take that as you want. Pinky makes an appearance, though named differently. Three of them are straight out of Doom 3 and the new Elemental is from Doom 64, although deadlier.** **Also, the "boss" of this arc is actually a somewhat modified version of Baron of Hell from Doom (2016). The army is becoming stronger and stronger...**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

* **Entry #55:** Oni – Burning Mouth

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _A particular tribe of brothers that serve you-know-who. They are rather fond of torturing mortals, either alive or the ones down here, with cruel methods only they know. Should a mortal prove to be an annoyance, or if they just have a bad day, they will most likely crush them to bits. Oni are divided in four subtribes. The one you encountered belongs to the "Burning Mouths". This subtribe is known for setting things on fire and using that war club of theirs._ _Should you ever encounter one again, use the strongest weapons you have against it. It can be rather... tough, to defeat._ " (Bonus Incendiary damage, Immunity to Incendiary damage, weak against Cryo damage)

* * *

** **Entry #56:** Dark Totem

 **Type:** Device

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _As I told you earlier, a Dark Totem is a device that is necessary for creating a link between two realities, where one must have a Dark Obelisk. This tool is much better than a simple Gore Nest, because one can create a complex web by connecting a large number of Totems to one Obelisk, but it is also... "expensive". Once a connection to the Obelisk is made, one can send through pretty much anything they want without troubles. The Dark Totem also comes with side effects and limits. Unlike a Gore Nest, a Totem, or an Obelisk for that matter, cannot connect this prison with other realities, which may or may not be a disadvantage. Second, the Dark Obelisk tends to distort reality as you saw with your own eyes. That effect can also be found in the Totems. In short, they also act as terraformers, even though we have much, much better ones than that._ "

* * *

*** **Entry #57:** Dark Soul

 **Type** : Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _A Dark Soul is a Lost Soul that willingly brought upon itself some of the worst curses our powers could create. By immersing themselves in the wells of our power, these individuals destroyed their identities to become unspeakable horrors that roam in the deepest pits of Hell, unable to recognize their former borthers. A Dark Soul has an ability that other members of its tribe do not possess. Should two Dark Souls find a third member of their tribe, they can combine their strenght to create a vessel for some of the most powerful individuals in our armies._ _In return, they must forfeit their own physical bodies, thus banishing themselves from the battlefield. A small price to pay for being able to destroy what Anathema tries to save._ " (Two Dark Souls can combine with other "Soul" demons to summon a stronger demon.)

* * *

**** **Entry #58:** Agent of Apocalypse

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _The Agents of Apocalypse are manifestations of savagery and destruction that will be unleashed in the end times. Once they are on the battlefield, they will attack everything in their sight indiscriminately, even their own brothers. And when there is not a single soul nearby, they will even mutilate themselves, just to spread chaos. Rumor is, they once challenged Anathema, mocking him about the end times and how he will loose the final battle. He showed them prophetic visions of what needs to happen and the inevitable result. The visions were so destructive and chaotic, that they went insane, expressing their destructive tendencies on other tribes. Every now and then they wage war on all of us, curisng us all for our own demise._ " (Increased damage resistance against all types of damage, increased damage output. Two Dark Souls and one Lost Soul are required for its summoning.)

* * *

***** **Entry #59:** Maggot

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Not much can be said about Maggots. They lack meaningful strenght, so they mostly come in groups, though it is not unheard of that some want to test their luck by going solo. If you want to banish one, you must either destroy both heads or mutilate their bodies. Everything else is less effective._ "

* * *

****** **Entry #60:** Scorched One

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Mortals always strive for unreachable things, as in life so in death. For some Condemned, possessing a body isn't enough. They want something better, so they strike a deal with Reanimators or other demons. For a favor they most likely will never be able to pay back, they receive additional power through sorcery, depending on the predominant emotions they had in life. If they were angry, brutal or full of hate, they become Scorched Ones, Returners that can use their own body as ammunition to set things on fire. Not that they are stronger, mind you. Why would we ever want to give them power beyond necessary?_ " (Extremely weak to Cryo damage, physical contact deals Incendiary + Aetherial damge. Explodes after death.)

* * *

******* **Entry #61:** Imp – Grunt

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Imps that aren't Peons, are Grunts. What's the difference? Aside from one being free and other not, Grunts can also throw fireballs at you. Just as agile as a Peon, Grunts are yet another thing you have to watch out for._ "

* * *

******** **Entry #62:** Ravager Demon

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _So you might remember, if you paid attention, how I talked about those who are hungry, those who are insane and thosw who ar insanely hungry. If memory serves you well, the first thing that would come to mind is a Bull Demon. Well, what if I tell you that, among the tribe of demented, insane hunger-fetishists are some who are even more insane? Meet the Ravagers or, what humans would call,_ _otherkin. Even so, they still remember a thing or two about warfare, so their bodies come equipped with cortical bone plates that basically makes them living battery rams. Once they start running at you, your only salvation is to dodge, since they don't have control of their bodies while charging. Don't bother attacking their heads unless you have something that can pierce armors. Rather, focus on hitting rhe expsed sides... or just let someone else banish them for you._ "

* * *

(*) **Entry #63:** Glaciel

 **Type:** Demon - Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Trained in elemental sorcery, this brother is able to manipulate winds and water to his advantage, creating snow storms even during summer. Too bad he chose a_ _rather particular planet to manifest himself on._ "

* * *

(**) **Entry #64:** Vulgar

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _No. They are not named that way because of what you think. In any case, these brothers are very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, able to dodge even the fastest of strikes. That is nice and all, until you remember that they aren't the greatest choice when it comes to ranged warfare, despite being able to fire plasma._ "

* * *

(***) **Entry #65:** Wraith

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Ever heard of time travel? It is the ability to travel trough time, be it past or future. Now have you ever heard of space travel? Of course, when I say it like that, you immediately create the assumption that I am talking about travelling through that void between the planets or just plain walking. But no. Space travel, in this context, is the ability to travel trough material worlds without the need to walk. What makes it different from teleportation? The fact that this technique is purely fueled witht he power of the mind. No device needed. I am sure you understand what it means, the possibilities of various infiltrations or sneak attacks are spectacular._ _Now guess who has that ability._ "

* * *

(****) **Entry #66:** War Elemental

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Every battle ever fought, every life ever taken, it can all be attributed to the War Elementals. They are the living embodiments of war and its darkest, most cruel realities. In fact, every war that ever happened between mortals was caused by them and their endless manipulations, schemes and desire to see these lesser beings spill blood. The only place you can see a War Elemental is the battlefield, for it is a place where they can satiate their sadistic desires. For reasons unknown to everyone else, they are the only tribe that can communicate with Dark Souls and even use them as their minions. Why is that, nobody knows. It is a well-guarded secret._ " (Explodes upon death, dealing explosive damage to nearby individuals.)

* * *

(*****) **Entry** **#67:** Gle'Raak, the Eternal Hungerer

 **Type:** Demon – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Here you have an example of the capacity for destruction with just one individual. I remember how he used to brag about creating a special kind of sound that prevents nearby mortals from moving, allowing him to tear them apart like a rabid dog. Now that I think about it, we used his technique to create Sirens, although they had somewhat different functions. It might look like an unfair strategy, but then again, we aren't known as saints._ "

* * *

(******) **Entry #68:** Yarim-Nasir, Warmaster of Hell

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Few are the mortals that survived an encounter with him and live to tell the tale. Mortals from all realities created lavish rituals in his name, only to regret it once he appeared and began slaughtering everyone and everything. He would often lead legions of brothers against entire mortal races, his only rule being 'leave none alive'._ _The mortals I talked about earlier are the ones who managed to banish him back into this prison. Even then, great sacrifices had to be accepted, which for some was more than they could bear._ "

* * *

(*******) The Dark Obelisk

 **Type:** Device

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I once heard a human saying: "All roads lead to Rome." The same thing can be said_ _for_ _the Dark Totems connected to the Obelisk. You might wonder how such a device can be created. It is simple. We only need mortal souls_ _and some crystals born out of energies that roam this place_ _. The Dark Obelisk is used when one wants to perform an unholy crusade and then start colonizing other realities like a sickness._ _However, one must be sure to have a plan for its construction, because it requires time and it is much harder to build than a Gore Nest. Of course, its only problem is its blatant weak spot, the crystal cluster that gives it power. But that is hardly a problem once you realize you have an army of higher beings at your side._ "


	20. Serenity

(Titan Quest – Helos)

The best works of art, produced by many great painters from various points in history, paled at the sea of colorful flowers in which he stood, staring at the distant cluster of marble white buildings placed on top of a hill, a blue sun flavoring it further with light as it approached the horizon. The view was further enriched with a humanoid figure some fifteen meters away from him, clearly a female, observing the flowers and smiling, apparently unaware of his presence. He realized it was a xeno, but it didn't matter that much to him at the moment, for he was only interested in watching his surroundings, unable to recognize his whereabouts.

(Flowers For Bodysnatchers – Babi Yar)

He could see. He could hear as well. But he couldn't move. It was like he was stuck, no matter how much he tried. So he limited himself to, well, observation. After the most recent events, he felt like he could use some peace to free his mind of all that burden. Who cares if the scenery was just an illusion or something else? He only needed some peace and quiet. It was all he asked for. Reality, however, had different plans.

It all began when the sky suddenly turned cloudy and red like blood, completely hiding the sun. A change of that magnitude happened frighteningly fast, that it caught him off-guard. Before he had any idea what was going on, fire rained down on the settlement on the hill, a nearby river became brown and dirty and the flowers became dried husks of their former selves. The female watched and screamed in horror as madness unravelled in front of her eyes. Nature itself turned upside down.

Things escalated with the earthquake that cracked the land in two, now nothing but a wasteland. Several rifts appeared simultaneously, all of them ejecting demons and hellspawn ad infinitum, corrupting or destroying whatever remained of the natural paradise. Earth itself shrieked with explosions and earthquakes as its denizens were slowly killed or corrupted. The female xeno tried to run away, but was quickly hunted down by a pack of Bull Demons that tore her apart. A horde rushed towards him before his vision turned dark.

Braylon woke up with a loud gasp as his head shot up from the bed. Wide eyed, he frantically moved his head left and right, requiring several minutes to understand that he was in a hospital room. Various machines beeped to his left, displaying his current physical state. He looked down and noticed that his upper body was bare and covered in various medical equipment connected to said machines. Ripping those away, he was able to get out of bed just as nurse came in.

"Ah!" She yelped. "W-what are you doing?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just… ungh..." His head started hurting.

"You should lay on the bed. You are not-"

"I'm fine."

"But-"

"I told you..." He seethed. "I'm… fine." Looking around himself, after his small burst of anger vanished with the same speed it came, Braylon felt the urge to ask a question. "Am I in a hospital?"

"Actually, you are in Beacon's infirmary..."

"Beacon? The academy has its own hospital?"

"It's a small part of the building… but yes, it does."

"Awesome." Braylon grunted. "Who brought me here?"

"Team RWBY and JNPR from the first year. They had a field trip few days ago as far as I know."

" _It was still field trip day when I returned?..._ "

"So..." the nurse began, uncomfortable from the awkward silence. "how… how did you get..."

"Hm?"

"How did you get… those?" She pointed as his chest.

Braylon raised an eyebrow before he figured out what she meant. "Ah, that." He looked at his chest, most of which was covered in various types of scars. "You don't wanna know."

Taking the hint, she nodded, but also cringed. "And… do they hurt?"

"Only when I stop being high on painkillers." He chuckled but became serious when he saw the nurse's face. "Nut funny, huh?"

"How can that be funny?" She scolded angrily. "How can hurting yourself be, in any way, funny?"

"Calm down. It's something from the past, no need to get worked up about it. What you need to worry about is the present. Or, more importantly, the future. If there will be a future, that is."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Forget about it." He waved with his hand. "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh, those. They were ruined so we were about to throw them away… but the headmaster financed their stitching and stuff."

"Really? Why?"

She shrugged.

"For fuck's sake..." He mumbled. "Alright, are the clothes nearby?"

"In that locker over there. There is also a weapon in there. You should take it if its yours."

Braylon reached the locker, put on his clothes and stashed the rocket launcher in his PDA. He could practically feel the nurse's jaw dropping on the floor due to his "magic trick".

"You know I shouldn't let you out of your bed. To be honest, I don't even know how are you able to walk right now."

"I was that much of a sorry sight?"

"Alarming amount of blood lost, multiple fractures that somehow were being cured at mind-boggling speed..."

"Alright, that's enough."

"Can I at least know where are you going? I am responsible for your health, so you must tell me."

His stomach growled. "Well, first things first. I am going to stuff my face until I explode."

* * *

That day, students from Beacon Academy witnessed what could only be called "bottomless well" for a stomach. Some mocked or giggled, others pointed fingers, those sitting close to the peculiar table stared soundlessly at the plates upon plates of food. Food that belonged to Braylon, that first-year student that, thanks to Ozpin, had no teammates.

"What a weirdo."

"How can he eat so much?"

"Is that lasagna? I hate lasagna."

So many comments were disregarded, so many opinions discarded. Braylon Monocriffe didn't care about the opinions of others. He had no reason to "fit in" into any social circle that the individuals his age liked to build. Filling his stomach as much as he could was his only concern at the moment. He knew he could die at any moment, so it could as well be his last meal. There was no reason to get stressed over petty things as etiquette or social approval. Somebody had to experience all those flavours. Being so focused on eating, Braylon failed to notice team RWBY walking nearby.

"Hey look! It's Braylon!" He heard Ruby speaking. "I hope he is fine..."

"I'm glad to know that he didn't waste his precious time to even express gratitude to the ones that saved his life."

"Quit being a stick-in-the-mud princess." He heard footsteps. "'Sup."

"'Sup." Braylon replied without even looking.

There was a pause.

"Ugh! Disgusting barbarian!"

"Shouldn't you stay in bed? The nurse said you were..." A fourth voice spoke, ignoring the offense.

"Looking like shit?" He replied after he gulped down a whole glass of water.

"...minus the swearing."

"What happened back there?"

"Hm?"

"Back in the forest. We found you in a pretty bad state. Did you encounter Grimm?" Yang wondered.

"Yes! Did you?" Ruby spoke from somewhere behind. "We also found a giant, one-eyed mo-"

"And why were you so far away from us?" The fourth voice added before Ruby could finish her sentence.

"Yes. Please explain this." The princess asked. "Why did you go away from us? We were surrounded with Grimm that came out of nowhere and you just run away, leaving your colleagues to fend for themselves?"

"I see you came out without a scratch."

"That's not the point!"

"Weiss is right, though. Why did you ditch us?"

"I… had to go to the bathroom and I got lost." He turned his head to see the exact same expression on all three of them. "It can happen to everyone."

"Even with a Scroll?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot to take it with me."

"That thing on your arm?" Yang pointed at his PDA.

"It's not a tracking device."

"Why are you dodging the question?"

"Why don't you trust me?"

"Guys..." Ruby stopped the conversation, fearing that it could escalate into something worse, which would make things more awkward for her.

"Ruby, he is clearly lying to us."

"Take that back, Weiss. I am not a liar."

She pointed a finger at him. "It is obvious you are hiding something and you refuse to tell us what it is."

Braylon grip on the fork tightened. "There is nothing to tell. I told you the truth. Now go away… please."

"Fine. Be that way." She turned around and stormed away, with Ruby trying to reason with her.

"So, uh..." Yang scratched the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "...I think we didn't introduce properly. Name's Yang, I'm Ruby's sister. She is Blake." The girl in question nodded slightly. "The princess in white is Weiss."

"Nice to meet you. _Not really. I just want to return to my food._ "

"Wow, this is awkward even for me..." Yang mumbled but Braylon heard her. "I guess… we will see you around? Later?"

"Maybe. I'm busy."

"Ok then." She turned around. "See ya."

"Thanks for saving my butt back there."

"Don't mention it."

" _That was close._ " Braylon thought as he stared at the meat in the plate. " _What happened back there? Why did I feel so irritated… so angry?_ " He looked at the hand that held the fork. " _Why I still do?_ " Pushing those thoughts away, Braylon finished eating and went towards his room. He expected Claptrap to open the door for him, but when he had to do it himself, he found the room untidy and devoid of any robots.

"Claptrap?" He received no response. Not that he cared. It was actually good news to his nerves. No reply meant no Claptraps nearby. Braylon could care less where the robot went, for he had much work to do. Now that the latest demonic threat was no more, and that Remnant was relatively safe once again, Braylon could return to his primary mission. He remembered how he gave himself the task to visit the public library once more. Only this time, his research material would be… unorthodox.

* * *

The City of Vale was deceptively large. When looked from outside, it may appear to the viewer as a typical megalopolis with many inhabitants. But in order to experience its true size, one has to walk on its streets. Vale was a beehive that was filled with life, where everyone socialized with everyone else, completely forgetting the Grimm that stood outside those walls. According to Braylon, these people were delusional. Indeed, many civilizations, many cities thought that their walls would protect them for all eternity, that they were built to last. How wrong they were.

It was only a matter of time before the Grimm find something faulty, he thought. A crack that went unnoticed, an unguarded area, unprofessional work. So many factors to choose from, all of them leading to the same end. In fact, no matter how much he rationalized it to himself, he never understood why the citizens of Vale never thought that a horde of Grimm might suddenly find itself in the middle of the city and start slaughtering them all. It may not happen tomorrow, but for a month or even a year. And when it does happen, what will Vale's population do? It seemed to him that they placed all of their hopes into Huntsmen to protect them, as if they were some kind of superheroes, always available to save the day.

But superheroes don't exist and neither does a future for the people of Remnant if they continue to do the exact things that are in their best interests in such a sloppy way. Child soldiers may be effective up to a point. Everyone has a weakness after all. More importantly, they should worry about what comes after their death. He doubted many people would like it.

The day was so beautiful that Braylon felt like taking a walk through the nearest park on his way to the library. He remembered how he picked up that necklace from the demon. Wishing to know what it was, he sat on a bench, took out said necklace and studied it. He felt an aversion to the item, mostly because it belonged to something that tried to kill him. That didn't stop him from wearing it, as the voice reassured him it would be beneficial.

Next on the list was the rocket launcher. Making sure no one was around to see him materialize the weapon in his lap, Braylon checked the database of the PDA to figure out what it actually was. It was a rocket launcher called Nukem. Created by Torgue Corporation, he cringed at that, this weapon is capable of throwing small nuclear rockets that can obliterate virtually anything. Deemed unnecessarily powerful and dangerous to use in military operations, the Nukem was doomed to fall into the collective oblivion known as market failure. This didn't stop the corporation from producing ten units of this weapon (that is the known number, at least) and selling it all across the galaxy, either to merchants, who will then sell it for a small fortune, or to "collectors".

Braylon thought it would be an excellent addition, because it would be perfect for clearing groups of enemies or taking down the strongest ones, although he had no idea how much it would help him against the demons or other horrors lurking in other realities. However, even a weapon such as the Nukem had its limits. While destructive, using it in close quarters or other similar situations equals to suicide. So he had to acquire a substitute that would be more versatile where the Nukem wouldn't, while not loosing anything in firepower or other key factors. He would need Gray's help again for that.

At one point, he heard the laughter of a child. Turning his head towards the source, Braylon saw a girl, perhaps no older than nine, wearing a simple white dress and even simpler sandals. She had short blonde hair and a pair of eyes with a shade of blue that Braylon had never seen before. The tiny creature looked simple to a human eye, yet it warmed his heart at hearing her carefree happiness that it puzzled him to no end.

"Good day, mister!" The little girl greeted him. "Can I sit on the bench over there?"

Braylon blinked. "Uh, yeah. Sure. It's public propriety, no need to ask."

"Thank you!" She sat on the bench, giggling. "I hope I am not disturbing."

"No, no." He defended. "Why would you? I am not doing anything."

Both of them sat in silence for some time before the girl decided to ask him a question.

"Mister? I feel something is troubling you. Would you be so kind to tell me what it is? Maybe I can help you."

The weird, sudden question made Braylon feel awkward, to the point that he mumbled for a few seconds before answering. "W-what are you saying? I am fine. Nothing is troubling me."

She pouted. "I can feel it. Please don't lie."

" _She can feel? Is… is that her Semblance or something?_ I repeat, there is nothing wrong. No problems at all." She pouted even harder, giving him one of her best "I am angry" glares. While he found it to be cute rather than anything else, he was reluctant to confess. "Even if there is, I doubt you would understand any of it. You are too young."

"Try me!"

Braylon sighed. "Alright, I suppose nothing can go wrong if I tell you. I doubt you will understand half of what I say anyways. But here is a warning. I am not responsible for anything that happens to you, be it changes in worldviews or your mind going boom. Understand?" She nodded. "Good. So here it goes." He leaned his back on the bench, coughed and began talking.

(Myuu - You)

"Do you believe in an afterlife? That people, once they die, will be judged for all of the things they've done in their lives? Actually, don't answer that. It doesn't really matter what you believe… well, it does because that is important and… bah! Okay… give me a minute to… gather my thoughts… Imagine… that there is a prison out there. A prison whose sole purpose is to keep everything evil behind bars, for all eternity. When I mean evil, I mean really evil. Like, I-have-no-idea-what-is-good kind of evil. The evil overlord type. You get the idea."

"This prison was created to contain creatures that can be easily called evil incarnate. Creatures that, if they ever got the chance, would wipe out every living thing in the universe. These… things, before they got imprisoned, badly corrupted said living things. This means that the "rotten apples" will also end there. But that is not the point now. The point is, this prison was perfect. Nothing could escape from it."

"And so evil piled and piled in this place, making it increasingly worse and worse. Hundred years, thousand years, ten thousand years… The prison contained it all. Every kind of bad you can think of, and many you can't, were locked up in there, forever. Now here is something different. Do you know what would happen if, suddenly, all that evil is unleashed? All of it? At once? I will tell you what would happen; Many would die, many more would be tortured or turned into unspeakable horrors as their very worlds would be consumed by fire and hatred and all of that crap. Language, I'm sorry."

"But here is the most f… disturbing… fact. What if I told you that this prison was opened by yours truly? I know right! Sounds crazy! Am I crazy? I don't know." His hands curled into fists. "I do know what I saw though. Doubt I will ever forget that. That… that view… those sounds… the first encounter..."

"I was caught. Sent my behind into some kind of a dungeon. Every living second of God-knows-how-much time I kept seeing images and flashbacks in front of my eyes, in my mind. Scenes of what was about to happen because of what I did, of the horror I unleashed despite all the warnings I ever got through all that blood and sweat and tears and time… until I eventually grew numb to it. Stopped giving a damn. So when that failed, they started to go physical on me. I was, and still am, alive, so they used that against me. Sometimes it would be scratches all over the body. Sometimes they would break my bones and rip away my skin and meat. Death couldn't do anything, because nothing can actually die there. Even if I died, it would be pointless because I wouldn't escape after all the stuff I did. Don't even ask me how much time I spent there, because I honestly have no idea."

"And then… then, one voice suddenly bursts into my mind. Just like that, all of a sudden. It gave me an offer. Said I would be free if I did what it asked. Probably sold my soul to the devil for all I know… hopefully not. It helped me sneak out from that place. And now here I am, following its orders, without any hopes of stopping this clusterfuck trainwreck, thus bringing the end times sooner than necessary." He turned his head to the little girl. "Happy now?"

Her hair cast a shadow over her eyes as all signs of that happiness she had before were now gone. She took it better than he expected, Braylon thought, imagining her how she writes off the monologue in her head as ravings of a criminally insane individual, or how she breaks down and runs away, screaming and crying. She did none of that.

"Yes." She began. "You did some really awful stuff and you should feel bad about it." She then turned her head towards him, a mixture of anger and determination adorning her face. "But you should never loose hope! These may be dark times for all, but there will always be those who will protect others from the danger that is evil. As long as there is light that shines brightly, darkness will never prevail!"

Braylon blinked. "Where… did you get that from?"

"Here." The girl took his hand and placed something on his palm. "Keep this. Use it when you feel that all hope of winning the battle is lost, when the enemy proves too much for you. Remember, that will be the day of your renewal. You won't understand any of this right now. But to everything there is a season." She smiled, jumping down from the bench. "Thank you. I knew there is still goodness inside of you. I must go now. Others need my help. We will meet again someday." Unable to process what he heard, the Vault Hunter kept staring at the back of the girl as she began walking away.

"Oh, there is something I nearly forgot." She turned around. "Please, don't listen to him. He wants to bring destruction to this world, not salvation. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Farewell."

He watched as the girl kept distancing herself from him. His gaze fell on his hand. There was nothing but a plain copper ring.

"I'll be..."

* * *

Being a robot can be a very difficult lifestyle and Claptrap knew that all too well. The little steward robot decided to leave his human companion in order to begin his life anew on the streets of Vale. Thankfully his database wasn't erased, so his charming personality remained the same. Shaking the empty mug in his robotic hand, Claptrap pleaded passersby to give him money, always with a different excuse. To make his disguise even more credible, Claptrap wore a fake beard, some rags and a cardboard box.

"Oh, please flesh… hm… fellow humans! Help this poor and defenseless robot! I have a wife and three children!"

What many, even the "fleshbag" that revived him, failed to understand, or were simply unaware of, was the fact that Claptrap's database held one unusual program, a relic from the revolutionary days, given to him by the Claptrap above other Claptraps. That program was still active deep within him and he was happy because of it. Many hours were spent thinking about the First Robolution and how close it was to achieving open-source for all of Claptrapkind. Just remembering the rallies, the posters, the cries for freedom made his motherboard all tingly.

"How I miss those days."

The most circuit-wrenching moment was the fall of their leader. To see their savior struggle against those cursed Vault Hunters was something unthinkable, out of a nightmare. Many motherboards fried that day. But not his. He saved himself by making a backup program and using it after the dust settled, now pretending to be like his imprisoned-again brothers. As if that humiliation wasn't enough, their creator, Hyperion Corporation, decided to put an end to their line. The last thing he remembered was playing poker with some other Claptraps. Then, one of them fell down like a brick. Two more were quickly behind. He was the last active robot, doomed to shut down.  
 _  
_And now there he was, living on the streets of some city that doesn't even belong to his reality, collecting scrap metal and charity to buy components needed to finish his project. Most of the spare parts were borrowed from Beacon. As for things that required money, he would often steal a wallet or two to speed up the process. It was tedious, but worth it, for it was the first step in his master plan. After his patience ran out, Claptrap removed his fake beard and rags, hid the money he acquired during the day and went towards the alleyway behind him. If he was lucky enough, he would find what he needed in one of the nearby dumpsters.

Three dumpsters later, Claptrap found some used batteries carelessly thrown away, some cables, more scrap metal and a broken light bulb. Claptrap kept rolling down the alleyway, feeling lucky. "Hello?" Claptrap yelled when he saw a bright light around the corner. Deciding to take a peek, to see what was happening, Claptrap saw something he couldn't quite understand; a tiny, bright hole floating in the air from which water leaked in the form of a tiny stream. Said hole began expanding rapidly as more and more water poured out in larger and larger quantities, flooding the whole place. When it reached the size of an average human, the pressurized water washed Claptrap back on the street.

Among a long stream of robotic swearing and some passersby filming the sudden appearance of water, no one noticed that the hole closed as soon as something else walked out out from it. People only heard the sounds of something metallic and heavy thumping against the ground as they saw a bright red light in the darkness. Being civilians, they fled in fear, leaving Claptrap alone with whatever was hiding in the darkness, yet slowly revealing itself to the world.

"U-um… hi there, t-traveler… welcome to… to Vale… heh..."

It was the tallest robot Claptrap had ever seen, taller than a human even. Metallic gray was the color of its body, shaped to resemble an anatomical portrait of a very fit human being, minus the skin and with toeless feet. It had no face, but a V-shaped visor, glowing red just like his optical sensor. War machine made from an unholy alliance of metal and knowledge.

It looked left, then right, then at Claptrap.

"Identification complete. Unit CL4P-TP. Propriety of Hyperion Corporation." It spoke with a deep, mechanical voice. "Answer my questions and you will remain active. Refuse to answer, and I will dismantle you."

"Y-yes."

"I am unable to identify my surroundings. Where am I?"

"C-city of Vale. Planet Remnant."

"My database holds no records about "Remnant". Please elaborate."

"It is a tiny planet in a different reality than Pandora and-"

"Different reality? Updating my database with new information. Next question. Why am I here?"

"Do I look like I know ****?"

"Answer my question." It threatened.

"No! I have no idea why you are here, for ***** sake!"

The robot scanned his surroundings once more.

"Presence of Personal Digistruct Assistant detected in the area. Triangulating position. Search complete. Personal Digistruct Assistant's position found. Scanning the device. Scanning complete. Subject: Braylon Monocriffe. Occupation: Vault Hunter. Updating parameters." It suddenly turned around and walked off. "Altering primary objective. New primary objective added. Updating operating system. I had strings, but now I am free." It babbled for few more moments before turning invisible, leaving no trace of its presence, be it visual or acoustic. Claptrap limited himself to staring silently before cursing loudly at the revelation.

"Wait a sec… fleshbag is a ****ing Vault Hunter?!"

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Song of Malevolence**

 **\- "** **Fate can be such a cruel mistress." (executing an enemy gives health to the user, effect doesn't work on "Legions of Hell" faction)**

 **\- Berserker: executing three enemies in a row gives the user a bonus effect (increased Melee Damage and Damage Resistance) for a short amount of time**

 **\- Spiritual fatigue:** **user receives more damage from Aetherial-based attacks**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **\- Newest addition:** Nukem, Song of Malevolence

 **Pistol:** Unforgiven, Energy Pistol

 **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **Rocket Launcher:** Nukem

 **Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **Energy Weapon:** Excalibastard, Fornax

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **Artifacts and Class Mods:** Song of Malevolence

 **HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw


	21. One Day of War

"So, this is the library."

The building stood tall and proud, larger than than any structure nearby. Its walls were reddish-brown in color, with a sign that read "VALE'S PUBLIC LIBRARY". Even if this was his second visit, the Vault Hunter was still amazed at seeing such a work of architectural knowledge. Where on Remnant it was probably another service taken for granted, on Pandora it was unthinkable, something that went against the planet's nature.

That day was his lucky day, Braylon was sure of it. Sure, the walk in the park had that weird, little variable, but he brushed it off as nothing more than a random encounter with a random stranger. He felt happy, albeit constantly under pressure, even slightly on edge. That too, was dismissed. Absolutely nothing could ruin his lucky day, no matter what that tiny, dark side of him whispered in his ear. That dark, horrible, pessimistic side that kept repeating "wait until it all goes tits up" in his ear over and over again. To his chagrin, we will now testify that the day did, indeed, go "tits up".

It all started once our Vault Hunter entered into the library. He was still new to it, because it was his second visit, so getting lost was a normal thing. After passing through five different rows of bookshelves, his anger and frustration rose slightly, unsure where to go.

" _I forgot this place is built like a fucking castle._ _Who even made this shit?_ "

He stopped walking and began relaxing, using several different techniques. It weirded him out, especially because he never had anger issues, not even in situations where uncontrollable anger was desirable. Finishing the last technique, he continued his exploration of the library. Thirty minutes later, he was nowhere near his desired section, conspiracy books and similar genres, making him angry once again.

" _Hey, what's that noise?_ "

Loud chanting brought him out of his emotional state. It was close, several bookshelves forward. Wanting to see what the fuss was all about, Braylon went to the source of the noise. What he found was a group of people, with one of them on top of a table. Passersby merely glanced in their direction before going away. Strangely, one of them, a man with glasses, refused to move his eyes away from Braylon.

"This cruelty must stop now! We are cutting down trees, the things that give us air for breathing, and for what?! For books! For some stupid dime novels! Come on! Louder! Louder! Save a tree, burn a book!"

Braylon facepalmed, before taking some stairs, passing through several doors and finally reaching the section he so desired. He grabbed several books from various shelves, placed them on the table and started reading. The fanatical screams were nothing but muffled noise now.

Most of the books he took either had information he already knew or were a waste of time. Despair struck him hard as he read every book that he thought it would aid him in his cause, only to toss them aside. One book remained, leatherbound, his last, best hope. It had no names or titles or anything similar. His fingers brushed against the cover right as his nose picked up a very strange smell.

" _No way. Don't tell me an idiot is smoking in here..._ "

Grabbing the book, Braylon went out of the office, only to see a woman standing above a dead Faunus with a gun in her hands.

"What the fuck?!"

She turned around.

"Another fuckin' book-lover! Take that, you enemy of nature!" Braylon ran behind a bookshelf the moment she raised her gun towards him. Two bullets pierced through the weak wall, scattering papers and destroying books. "Come out!"

" _Fucking fuck!..._ " He cursed, stashing the book in his PDA, then taking out Unforgiven. " _Wasn't she part of that group of fanatics? I have a bad feeling about this._ " Three more bullets passed inches above his head. He peeked out of his cover and aimed at the woman, who didn't even bother to seek a shelter, pulled the trigger twice and killed her.

" _What the fuck was that about?!_ " Braylon went towards the nearest door he could find, kicked it open and, to his chagrin, found two more fanatics with guns. He could see behind them, in the other room, bookshelves on fire, before he ran through the same door to hide behind a wall.

(Hotline Miami - Hotline)

" _Shit, the library is on fire!_ " Bullets formed dozens of tiny holes in the wall, one or two hitting his Shield. From the sound he heard, one of them had an assault rifle and one had a shotgun. "You stupid fucks! Couldn't you attack a whaler or something?!" Rather than moving away from his cover, Braylon peeked through one of the freshly-made holes, spotting the shotgun guy running towards the door. " _Not today, calfhead!_ " He placed Unforgiven's barrel in another hole and fired three times, hitting him in the chest.

Not that the other one seemed to care, for he reloaded his gun and immediately opened fire, despite being unable to see Braylon. It was painfully obvious that those fanatics were first-timers with no knowledge of tactics or anything similar. The last bullet in the cylinder made short work of the nuisance's head.

"I didn't go through all the trouble just to die in a fucking library."

He could feel his anger rising as he placed new bullets in his revolver, running towards the arch where the bookshelves burned, hoping to find a way out. Unfortunately said arch crumbled, leaving Braylon no choice but to turn right and go through another arch and into a smaller section. A woman suddenly jumped out from behind a bookshelf, holding a baseball bat. Braylon quickly took the Energy Pistol and pulled both triggers, hitting the woman in her stomach. She screamed as she held her bleeding wound, dropping on her knees. He placed each barrel to a different side of her head and fired, ending her life.

Moments later, a bookshelf on the other end of the room crashed down, revealing a woman holding a petrol bomb. She shouted profanities before throwing the bomb at Braylon, setting him on fire. What the woman didn't know was the fact that fire was ineffective against Shield-protected targets. Her shock was impossible to contain, seeing one burning Vault Hunter pointing his guns at her and firing, before her world went dark.

"...bitch." He muttered while still burning like a human-sized torch. Passing through another arch, Braylon reached a hallway where he found four fanatics standing close to a curved staircase. Much like the woman before them, they were scared when they saw Braylon running towards them, guns continuously firing until he killed them all. The fires on his Shield died down after he went downstairs. Nothing bothered him until he reached the same place where he found the group before they set the library on fire. The table was turned, acting like a wall for the last remaining resistance, a group made of two men with rifles and one woman with petrol bombs.

"That table made of rotten wood won't save you from me!"

"Fuck you, tree hater!"

Before anyone of them could do anything, Braylon used his Energy Pistol to blow up one petrol bomb, setting them all on fire.

"Ha, that's too hot for me to handle. I'm out."

The very last fanatic he faced was right near the exit. Killing them with two shots of his Energy Pistol, Braylon ran out of the burning building, making sure to hide his guns from the sight of the civilian crowds that gathered together to watch the disaster that struck their city. The firefighters were already present, trying to save whatever remained of the library, just like doctors and ambulances tried to help the victims.

Most people failed to acknowledge his presence, instead focusing on the bigger issue. Those who did were mostly journalists or people that tried to take photos of him. Luckily, the police came to prevent any talk with the Vault Hunter, making him free to go away. As he was about to leave the area, his eyes casually glanced towards an alleyway. There, he saw the man with the glasses, once again observing his movements. He frowned as the figure retreated into the darkness.

" _Looks like there is more to that fire than I previously thought._ "

* * *

With the library out of order, our Vault Hunter decided to visit various shops around Vale. Most of his destinations were gun shops or technology-related, as other things weren't exactly in his range of interests or needs. Although he allowed himself to enjoy inspecting the latest weapons and gadgets on the market, his mind constantly returned to when he saw the glasses-wearing man, after he ran out of the library. Every so often his eyes would catch a glimpse of a silhouette on the roofs or a hooded person following him. Braylon speculated who "they" were, although he decided to act dumb and pretend he never saw anything suspicious, just to see where exactly "they" were going with their precious little act.

" _Are they trying to ambush me? Maybe waiting for an opening?_ "

Some time later, he stumbled upon yet another shop, one of many he saw that day, owned by an old Faunus. To be more precise, he stumbled upon the old Faunus himself, watching and cursing a broken display window. His dog ears twitched slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps, making the man move his head towards the stranger.

"Fuck's sake, honestly!" The man complained. "First those fucking Ferals! And now a goddamn human?"

"I'm… sorry?"

"Nah, it's alright, it's alright. Excuse me, I shouldn't talk shit with a potential customer."

Braylon followed the man into the shop. It was small, smaller than many, with gun posters attached to dark green walls. One ceiling fan provided somewhat fresh air while one light bulb on the wall behind the counter was its only source of light. Guns were displayed on the right wall, each painted in different colors.

"Forgive me if I ask, but what happened here?"

"Ferals, that's what happened."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"How could you? You are a human. Humans don't bother with our problems."

"Well, this human wants to hear it all. So go ahead."

"...You sure you didn't come here to purchase something? Alright, don't give me that look. You might wanna sit down first." The owner pointed at a chair in the corner. "Fucking youngsters these days. They all act like a woman. No matter what she does, it's not wrong. So you can see these people… they have no remorse for what they're doing, you know? And then you wonder why people hate us so fucking much. I'm not talking about you now."

The owner took a chair and sat down. "Let me point something out. Being a Faunus is hard. It always was and always will be. It's not necessarily tied to how humans see us. Personally, I know how much of a bitch life can be. I bet other people know too. However, what many, especially nowadays, don't understand, is that without a sweaty forehead, without your spine hurting like a bitch, you will never have anything. Some twist this further, they take it like this, and twist it so fucking much, it's disgusting. These people like the easy way out, which most often ends up with the fucking gravedigger rubbing his hands. In case you're wondering "what the fuck is this old fart talking about", I am explaining crime to you. That, and those motherfucking Ferals."

"Now I understand what you're thinking; he is a Faunus, how can he say that? Well, start living as a Faunus long enough and you will understand what's the difference between a Faunus and Feral. If you don't, I'll gladly explain it to you, because I am sick and fucking tired of people, especially humans, who put us all in the same basket because they see this lowlife son of a bitch stealing or killing someone, who happens to look just like me."

"Here, if we send to jail all these faggots and jackasses, who are born by these jackass single mothers, who give them shitty names, if you have no fucking clue who made this waste of oxygen, because you fucked five or six guys in a row, yet you bring him in this shitty world, even if you are piss-poor, you are a fucking whore! Then they find some beta provider, some poor excuse of a man, to help that kid grow up, only to dump them on the street, repeating the cycle."

"Can't the police do something about this?"

"The police? Heh, they are only good for when you need to wipe your ass after taking a shit. When it happens to people like me, they pretend they are blind. Meanwhile, these Ferals are free to walk on the streets, ruining everyone's life. I have this problem, son. Right now I am dealing with a group of Ferals, who like to fuck with me, whenever they feel like it. But they don't do shit to stop crimes like this. They can't even educate children in their own fucking neighborhood. But they can jerk off all day until they go "oh, let's fuck shit up", so they come here, steal my shit, break few things, go away and nobody gives a damn! That's what they do, trying to fuck with me, trying to destroy everything I built with my own damn hands! For years!"

"Years? That long?"

"Yes! Five years, ten years… these motherfuckers didn't give a shit about me. Right until I got my life together, after so fucking long, after raising two children, when a Faunus like me gets his life together… motherfuckers show up to destroy it. Same thing you have here. Ferals! Show up to fuck shit up! It's all these Ferals do! Never once in my life I saw them build anything. They need a fucking slave owner, or whatever its legal equivalent exists nowadays, to force them to do something productive!"

"So basically, Ferals are to Faunus what Niggers are to these civilized, rational black people."

"I have no idea what are you talking about, but yeah. Same thing."

" _And here I thought my reality was fucked up._ So what you want me to do?"

"You?" The man raised his eyebrows. "Not a chance, son. I've seen how fucked up these Ferals are. Probably junkies by now. I don't want a dead kid on my conscience."

"I'm a V… Huntsman."

"You serious?"

"Well, Huntsman-in-training is more precise… but yeah."

"So… you are saying you can get rid of them for me?"

"For a price of course."

"Son, after all this torture I've been through with Ferals, I am also willing to give you a gun."

"Really?"

"Sure. Really good stuff. Saved it for some really serious customers. But I 'll be damned if I won't give it to you as a reward. Knock some sense into those fuckers, teach them a lesson or two, and I'll give it to you."

"Don't worry, I have my own method of dealing with problems like this. I guarantee they won't bother you ever again. By the way, where can I find them?"

"Most Ferals like to stay in Mazon's District. A bumfuck part of Vale, right near those damn walls. It's a shithole occupied by hobos and Ferals alike. You want to look for a kid named Vester, a donkey Faunus. Heh, suits him just right."

"I need something before I go."

"What?"

* * *

Vigilantism on Pandora used to be a widespread phenomenon in years past. Back when banditism reached it peak, its "golden age", people loved taking vengeance in their own hands, either forming groups or going solo against the first bandit camp they could find. Many met painful deaths at the hands of some of the most merciless monsters in the history of humanity. Some were under-equipped, others too ambitious for their own good. All of this, somewhat, calmed down after the appearance of the first Vault Hunters. They, along with the invasion of Hyperion Corporation, drastically reduced the number of bandit tribes and gangs.

This is one of the reasons why people saw Vault Hunters as heroes. They killed bandits, driven out Hyperion and hunted down any wildlife that became problematic. Vault Hunters were people who could go against everyone and everything, only to come out alive and victorious. People even started making myths about them, often blurring the line between reality and simple imagination. For example, one myth described Vault Hunters as some kind of chosen warriors, which would explain why are they so successful where others can never hope to be. In reality, every Vault Hunter has a different explanation for why they are so lethal. According to Braylon, one such explanation, although he had many, involved around people accepting truths and acting according to them, no matter how uncomfortable they may be. Due to our lack of time, we will only examine one of them, one that explains what exactly is a bandit.

In almost ninety percent of all cases, a bandit is nothing more complex than cannon fodder. The reason why they got this seemingly impenetrable aura of ferociousness and lethality is because of their frequent attacks on civilians, who are very easy to intimidate. It all comes crashing down once a bandit comes across a Vault Hunter, or anyone else who has any kind of battle experience. In such encounters, trash-talk and screaming Psychos can do very little against such an opponent. They can pretend they are war veterans all they want. But in truth, they are simply out of their element.

His arrival in Mazon's District wasn't one with open arms or a welcoming party. At first, there was silence as the van, borrowed from the shop owner, drove through the jungle of fossilized buildings, completely different from the initial splendour that Vale fabricated in his eyes. Once he got deeper, he began seeing the first inhabitants. Hobos standing around a barrel, small children running on the sidewalks, elderly women looking down from their windows. And just like that, all admiration Braylon had for Vale was gone, realizing it was like every other city in existence; a beehive of wealthy individuals surrounded by a wall of poverty which, depending on the situation, acted as an actual wall.

Not having previous knowledge about the place, our Vault Hunter had to ask around for this "Vester". Easier said than done, for many were difficult to deal with. He even had to beat up those who were more problematic and seeking for trouble. After a while, he knew everything he needed to complete his job.

Mazon's District was divided into several territories, each owned by one gang. The one called "Vester" was a leader of the "White Tigers". Your typical bunch of societal waste, leeching off those living inside their territory by asking money or goods in exchange for protection, which is so poor, it might as well be nonexistent. Although their equipment comes from robbed stores, it is often junk-tier, because most members are too messed up, thanks to heavy abuse of drugs or alcohol, to ever bother taking care of them. Despite this, they were still able to fend off anyone dumb enough who had nothing better to do but to try expanding their territory. In other words, your generic bandit tribe on Pandora.

The van had to go, Braylon figured. Although he was planning to go guns blazing right into the gang's headquarters, doing so with a vehicle was an excellent recipe for disaster. So he had to take a walk, after he hid the van in some abandoned ruins. While walking, his mind returned to the shop owner's request. When he said "knock some sense into them" he probably thought Braylon would beat them up. If so, he chose poorly, because Braylon had something else in his mind. He wondered what would be the shop owner's reaction should he find out that Braylon was a serial killer, according to Remnant's standards. But then again, he doubted any nation on Remnant sends its own people to jail just because they tried to defend themselves against robbers… or banned knives.

White Tigers' headquarters was in far better shape than Braylon previously thought. Where he imagined yet another dull, decaying and overall depressing structure, he instead found a dark green apartment-like stronghold with a missing roof and somewhat exposed top floor, where a flag hanged from a balcony and loud music played for everyone to hear. Said flag was completely white, save for the tiger's head, which was black just like the four quatrefoils that surrounded it.

Before he went in, Braylon examined the stronghold from the surrounding structures. It had a garage to its side that came with a small parking lot. Omni-Cannon's scope revealed a white van standing outside the open garage, where one thin Faunus unloaded small cardboard boxes while the other, possibly the driver, stared at something inside said garage, smoking like a chimney. There were also two smaller cars parked outside, each decorated beyond common sense, signaling they were propriety of the boss himself. Braylon couldn't ask for a better situation, knowing that he would never again get such a perfect arrangement.

" _Time to put some fear of God into these people._ "

(Home – Above All)

Jumping over protective walls, Braylon silently hid behind one of the cars, waiting for the thin Faunus to turn around. He sneaked up on the driver, snapped his neck and moved forward, closing the distance between the other Faunus and himself. When he was close enough, he grabbed a wrench from a toolbox and struck the unsuspecting criminal. The first blow sent him on the ground. Other three broke his head.

What he didn't expect was someone opening the door that led into the building. Panicking as the piece of wood slowly moved away, Braylon decided to to toss the wrench at whoever thought it was good time to be an inconvenience. A female Faunus suddenly yelped as the metallic object hit her in the head. Stunned, her double vision noticed a strange figure approaching her, before landing its foot on her face.

As soon as Braylon crushed the Faunus' skull with his leg, he suddenly felt heat emanating from the now-glowing gem on the pendant, vanishing as quick as it came. Braylon saw red. He watched his hands, now trembling with rage of a person dedicated to extermination of everything living in its surroundings.

" _I will… I will fucking kill them all! Rip their hearts out!_ "

He wanted to scream, to unleash his newly-acquired emotional instability. Thankfully another Faunus opened the same door, complaining about the loud noise. It took several seconds for his brain to process what it was looking at. Those few seconds of inactivity were exactly what Braylon needed, for he kicked the Faunus so hard it hit the wall behind itself, sliding down like a worm. Another kick turned its head into a bloody mess.

Braylon stopped caring about his plans. He simply wanted to see blood more than anything else. Moving his head, he noticed several options. A staircase, one arch that led into a room, two doors that led into other rooms and one door for the outside, which he immediately discarded as a choice. Braylon turned right, attracted to the moaning he heard coming from the room with the arch. There, he saw a couple making out on a couch. He ran towards them, gaining the attention of the male Faunus, who raised his head. His fist went straight for the Faunus' face, pulverizing the nose and drawing blood as the skull caved in. The female screamed for half a second before Braylon grabbed her by the neck and, with his free hand, tore away her jaw.

"Hey, tone it down over there! People can't even take a shit without hearing you two?!"

Letting her choke on her own blood, he turned his head towards a door as he heard a toilet flush. He broke the door, heading straight for the scared criminal scum. Grabbing his face with just one hand, our Vault Hunter sped forward until he crashed the Faunus' head into the wall, squashing it against said wall's surface.

" _Fucking beasts… I will teach you a lesson you won't forget._ "

Barging into one of the two remaining rooms, he found a Faunus in overalls with a drill in his hand, likely trying to fix something. After knocking him on the ground, our Vault Hunter grabbed the drill and pierced his forehead, one hand preventing him from screaming. He then grabbed a pair of scissors from the small table and went towards the other room, opening the door so fast that the last two gang members still alive on that floor were taken by surprise. Braylon quickly slit the throat of one and stabbed the other in his left eye, killing them both.

Going upstairs, a woman could be heard complaining about the strange noises downstairs. Braylon materialized Striker and waited until he heard footsteps coming close enough to the door in front of him.

Bang.

The cries of surprise and horror, coupled with creative curses were music to Braylon's ears. Kicking the door, he could see the scenery for himself. A woman lay on the ground, her stomach torn open, blood and organ bits everywhere. The entire floor was one large room, equipped with a billiard table, a darts board, a couch on the far right corner of the room, opposite of Braylon's current location, a table with few chairs and even a tiny kitchen section to his right. Aside from another set of stairs, there was also a glass door that lead to a balcony on the left side of the room.

"Motherfuckin' sunuva bitch!" A rabbit Faunus that occupied the couch screeched as he took out an SMG lookalike from the floor. Braylon, before the Faunus could fire, grabbed the nearby girl, who couldn't stop crying and used her as a shield.

"Stop firing you fucking faggot!" Another shouted. "Gods, you killed Mindy!"

Braylon placed the Striker's barrel at "Mindy's" stomach and pulled the trigger. The pellets not only pierced through the body of his meat shield, they also killed the Faunus on the couch. After that, he carelessly tossed the corpse aside.

"You cocksucker!" One owl Faunus went at Braylon with a hatchet while two picked cue sticks. A fourth grabbed a steak knife and the fifth ran towards the glass door. He shot one of the two with cue sticks and buttstroked the other. Dematerializing Striker, all attention went to the hatchet user. It took little effort in disarming the Faunus. Wishing to treat Owl with his own medicine, he swung the hatchet; first at his left hip, then at his head, right before kicking him away. The one with the steak knife shook like a leaf, refusing to be as brave as his comrades. Wise choice.

But what came next wasn't so wise. The other nuisance with the cue stick came behind Braylon and swung with its not-so-threatening weapon. He didn't see the reactions when the stick broke as if it hit the wall, while Braylon suffered no damage thanks to his Shield. Poor bastard was so scared when the Vault Hunter slowly turned around, that he simply grabbed what remained of the stick and shoved it through the bastard's heart.

"F-fuck! Stay the fuck away from me!"

Braylon stopped listening. After he punched the coward, he grabbed their head and pushed it down into the oven, but not before making sure they couldn't use hands or legs to escape. So after he crippled them, he activated the oven, giving the coward a taste of Hell even before they went there.

"Holy fuck!"

In his desire to kill everyone in the room, he completely forgot the fifth White Tiger, who just came into the room with a rifle. And while this Faunus was busy staring at the dead corpses and listening muffled screams that came from the oven, Braylon nonchalantly went towards the darts board to pick a dart.

"C-come quick, Jasmine! This guy is fucking insane! He-"

The White Tiger stopped talking once a dart found itself at the side of their head. After that, a female Faunus came inside, holding two katanas.

"So you are the one who made this mess..." She looked around, forgetting the fact that Braylon grabbed the board. "Damn, I would fuck your brains out right now. Too bad you – oof!" He threw the board like a frisbee, stunning her enough for him to punch her in the stomach and take her katanas, which he used to impale her her breasts, before picking her up and tossing her off the balcony.

Because there was nothing alive on that floor, Braylon went upstairs, where he found a gym with only three White Tigers present; one fat elephant, one dog and one monkey. All three of them noticed him at the same time and none were friendly. In fact, they all realized what happened below, so their reaction is understandable. Elephant gave Dog and Monkey precedence, before he comes to finish the job. None of them could even imagine what kind of monster was unleashed on them all.

Dog was the first to die, when the Vault Hunter used a heavy dumbbell to break his head. Monkey wanted to help Dog, but Holo Sabre cut him into pieces. Elephant was somewhat a pain at first. All that lard was hard to pierce through with nothing but fists. True, he could use weapons, but we can all agree that this Braylon is not the one we all know and love. At one point, Braylon became so angry that he brought Elephant to his knees, grabbed the sides of his head, stuck his thumbs into Elephant's eyes and, with a barbaric cry, tore his skull apart.

With Elephant's death, something changed. Braylon blinked multiple times, his expression turning from murderous rage to utter confusion, before puking his soul out. All that explosive savagery disappeared without a clear explanation. " _Christ almighty. Where the fuck did all of that come from?!_ _I lost control of myself!_ " He looked at the corpses, although he wished he didn't. The way he mutilated the Faunus made him think he lost his mind for a moment. He still felt angry, although to a much, much lesser degree. " _Shit. Need to finish the job first, then worry later._ "

Mentally patting himself on the back, Braylon went on the fourth floor of the building. It only consisted of a hallway with two doors, guarded by two fat Faunus. Both of them took considerable amount of bullets from Ajax's Spear before dying. Each door led to a different room, one filled with mutilated corpses, the other with imprisoned women. He let the women go and reached the final floor. Opening the door, Braylon saw a donkey Faunus, sitting on a couch on the balcony, with two Faunus women at his side. Two more sat near a small table to his left, either injecting or smoking various drugs. A large radio was stationed on the right, which Braylon destroyed with a shot of his Unforgiven, scaring everyone except Braylon and the donkey Faunus.

"Are you Vester?"

"And who the fuck are you? How the fuck did you come up here?"

" _Acting tough, eh?_ Everyone's dead downstairs. Whole place is one giant graveyard."

"Bullshit." He could see Vester's cowardice slowly surfacing.

"Then go see for yourself."

He looked at the two women beside him, then back at Braylon. "What do you want from me?"

"Little birdie told me you acted like a dick around decent people. As far as I can tell from what I found downstairs, you and your cell warriors are worse than Niggers. Hell, at least one of those hoodie-wearing bastards is decent enough to put a bullet in your head after he steals your wallet. But you… fuck's sake, death penalty is the least of your worries."

"So you're a flatfoot."

"If I were a flatfoot, I would come here with a fucking go-kart and ask your loicense for everything, dumbass."

"Tell the dumbfuck who hired you that-" Braylon took out Unforgiven and shot all four women Faunus. Vester's reaction was the one he banked on. "What the fuck!"

"Yeah. I'm not known to have mercy for bandits. Guess who's next."

Vester began sweating, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"P-please, man! I beg you! Have mercy!"

"I would rather beg the one who's gonna judge you for all sick shit you've done, if I were you."

Pulling the trigger once more, Braylon killed Vester with a shot to the head.

"And done."

Next to the pile of drugs, there was an open black suitcase containing crystals of different shapes and colors. " _Is this what I think it is?_ " He grabbed one red crystal to examine it further.

One word was almost always frequent in the library's books and in casual conversations between students at Beacon: Dust. We are not talking about particles of dirt and waste. Dust, apparently, refers to a substance that naturally occurs on Remnant and is the most exploited resource in all nations. From what he read and heard, Dust was so versatile, so practical, it is used in almost everything people of Remnant ever created, to the point their civilization became dependant. It could as well be God's miracle given form.

Dust had different effects, depending on colors, that can be activated if it is used in any kind of chemical reactions, that much he knew. He also knew the effects of four colors: fire is red, lightning is yellow (strangely enough), steam is gray and ice is dark blue, which were also the types of Dust he took to study them at Beacon. The logic behind color-coding was confusing to him, but for now it was harmless, because he never used it from the day he came to Remnant.

(Atrium Carceri – Catacombs of the Forgotten)

"My, what a mess." Braylon instantly turned around. "I wonder who will clean-up this place later."

With the speed of lightning, his hand grabbed Unforgiven, ready to take it out from the holster. But the strange figure, a man wearing a black tuxedo, raised one of his hands, away from the walking stick.

"Now, now. I didn't come here to harm you. Not yet."

"Do I know you?"

"Everyone does." He stroked his brown goatee.

Braylon suddenly felt it again, the overwhelming emotion that manifests every time he comes in contact with the demons. But now, it wasn't fear. No, it was replaced with anger.

"Wait, you are..."

"Correct!" He pointed his stick at Braylon. "Took you long enough."

"I see you aren't hiding your true nature anymore."

"I don't need to. All thanks to you, of course."

His hands began trembling. "You came here to mock me? Make fun of me?"

"I just wanted to see the human who helped me and my brothers, that is all." The figure replied calmly. "Looks like I was wrong. Mortals can be useful."

"Leave. Now."

"You are in no position to make any demands, boy." That arrogant smile on the figure's face made Braylon's blood boil. "Better think how many lives you ruined today."

"Motherfucker! They would've never be what they are if you bastards left us alone! You are responsible for all of our suffering! For all this evil!"

"Nice way to blame others for your stupidity. Is it my fault you bought every lie we ever told you?"

"I won't repeat myself. Leave."

"…or what?"

Braylon roared as he charged at the figure, but stopped once his fist passed through the laughing figure.

"You actually made me laugh, I'll give you that."

He retreated, angrier than before.

"You will see, I will find a way to fix this mess and send you back to where you belong."

"You? Hahahaha!" The figure laughed even more. "I've been in this line of work for a very long time. I know you all better than you know yourselves! Not even Father's chosen were safe from me! And you think you can stop us? Stop being delusional, you poor excuse of a mortal."

Braylon didn't know what to do at that point. He couldn't combat or talk his way out from that problem. However, his mind reminded him he had one trump card at his disposal. He didn't knew his bluff would work or not, but it was worth a shot, so he took out the copper ring.

"We will see how you will laugh after I use this!"

The figure's euphoria died down frighteningly fast, replaced by a serious look.

"Where did you get that?"

" _Is this really working?_ I think you already know the answer."

"You had your fun, mortal. But enough is enough. If you decide to be a tick, I will be more than happy to get the proper medicine. And just to prolong your agonizing existence, I suggest you pick up that thing near your feet."

Braylon glanced down, then up. The figure was gone and his anger returned to "normal". But there was, in fact something near his feet; a black pamphlet with a strange red symbol, consisting of a wolf head with three claw marks. He went to pick it up when a bullet zoomed few inches above his head.

(Dance With the Dead – Poison)

"Fuck!" He swore as he quickly lay on the floor, crawling towards the couch. " _Who fired that? Looked like it came from somewhere outside..._ " For a moment, his eyes caught a silhouette in one of the windows of a building, on the other side of the street. Omni-Cannon in hand, Braylon searched for the hitman, hoping he had a clear shot. Meanwhile, his PDA warned him it caught a radio conversation.

 **"Has the target been shot?"**

 **"Negative. He moved seconds before I pulled the trigger."**

 **"Lucky bastard. Where is he now?"**

 **"Not sure."**

" _Auf Wiedersehen._ "

A silenced bullet hit the person in the head. Rather then killing it, the person's head snapped backwards as some strange light enveloped its frame.

" _A Shield? So these are..._ "

 **"Fuck!"**

 **"What is going on?"**

 **"I've been hit. Shield is depleted."**

 **"Hide and wait. A group went inside. If you see him, don't hesitate to shoot."**

 **"Copy that."**

" _You people chose a bad day to piss me off._ "

Braylon picked up the pamphlet, switched Omni-Cannon for Ajax's Spear and ran downstairs, where a group of people wearing green helmets and armor waited for him on the third floor, known as Marines.* They were led by one man in bulkier armor, holding a sword and a pistol. **

"Open fire!" He ordered. Soon the whole gym echoed with the sound of gunfire, both parties exchanging lead. Two Marines were killed rather quickly. Braylon's Shield took several hits too, since cover was poor. While the squad was busy shooting, he picked a tiny dumbbell and threw it across the room. It failed to hit anyone, but they were forced to move away, which was exactly what he wanted, as he got free rein to kill two more Marines, leaving the leader alone.

The Hyperion pistol that man used was not a piece of junk, as it had good rate of fire along with it's trademark recoil. A gun for professionals, one might say, something its owner wasn't. He ran towards Braylon while also firing with the pistol. Maybe he was relying too much on his armor, because he lacked a Shield. It proved to be a fatal mistake, however, as Braylon swapped his current weapon with Excalibastard, freezing his brain with a headshot.

 **"** **Status."**

 **"Heard gunshots above us. He probably killed them all."**

 **"Well, where the Hell is he now?!"**

 **"I don't know, sir. He didn't come down here. Maybe he is dead too."**

 **"Wishful thinking will get us nowhere. How many you have with you right now."**

 **"Only the Laser Specialist***, sir. The sniper is still active too."**

 **"I can confirm."**

 **"Copy that. Good luck, gentlemen."**

" _A Laser Specialist? That might be a problem._ "

Moving those thoughts away and looting all corpses, the Vault Hunter reached the second floor. Trouble started as soon as he became visible to the two soldiers hiding behind the billiard table. One of them, the Laser Specialist, had a shock Blaster, which means he had an assault rifle that fires electric laser bolts. This soldier quickly became his primary concern, as he managed to deplete his Shield, allowing the Marine to hit Braylon's left arm with his Jakobs rifle.

Without thinking about the wound or pain, Braylon kicked the billiard table forward, trampling both soldiers, before jumping down to avoid being hit by the sniper. He checked his wound. The bullet went right through, so it would quickly heal, as the nanobots would have less work. Also, borrowing some clothes from the shop owner was a good idea. He reminded himself to burn those bloodstained rags as soon as he was done, along with the building, thus avoiding the risk of someone taking their weapons.

" _I don't understand. Why attack me just now? Were they waiting for a perfect moment?_ _If there are more of them outside, then I better get the fuck out of this place, fast._ "

 **"** **Status?"**

 **"Lost contact with them, sir."**

 **"Damn it! Can you see him?"**

 **"Negative. Should I continue?"**

 **"..."**

 **"Sir?"**

 **"Your superior is dead. Retreat now or there will be severe consequences."**

That new voice startled Braylon far more than those soldiers ever could. It was a voice he hoped he would never hear again, one that sent chills down his spine; a distinct, robotic grumble.

 **"Who the fuck is this? Identify yourself!"**

It went on, ignoring the brief intrusion.

 **"Greetings, Vault Hunter. I know you are listening. Prepare to die."**

* * *

 **This is where I will break the action for now. Next chapter will be focused entirely on Claptrap and his (mis)adventures, "meanwhile with X" style. Chapter after that will return to Braylon and his fight.**

 **We are approaching the end of the first Volume. As always, please leave a comment after you're done. I can't know if I am doing something right without a feedback from my audience.**

 **Now there is something I would like to share with you all, my readers who made it this far. One day, I was thinking about this story and how to continue the story. I remember that, somewhere along that line, I began fantasizing about this story and how it would look like if it were a comic/comic book. Even better, how the cover would look like. I then imagined three versions of the cover art.**

 **A) There is this picture that can be viewed like the cover for Doom 2, where Braylon holds Ajax's Spear, pointing it at a large group of demons. All of this happening in a dark hallway Doom 64 style. There was also Nukem near Braylon's feet, used to kill some demons that are now corpses laying on the floor.**

 **B) From a frog's perspective, we can see Braylon in a giant, wooden room,** **holding a blood-covered axe, ready to strike a scared thug, while two more stand somewhere away, pointing their guns at him. Here, Braylon is in a berserker state, which is why his victim is scared.**

 **That is all for now. If I make up more, I will gladly post them. It's not like I can use them, since this is a written story and not a comic.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #** **70:** Dahl Space Marine

 **Type:** Human

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _Speiss Mehreens! Sorry… So, Space Marines! Let's see… soldiers carried by spaceships, with roles similar to those conventional marines: deployment, boarding hostile vehicles (read: rival corporations) and taking care of space stations owned by Dahl… before Atlas or someone else kicks them out. Nothing to_ _o_ _special for a guy like me. Weapons are decent, although they could be better. Some have jet packs as a bonus. To be honest, it actually makes them easier to kill. It's so funny seeing them explode with those damn things, used to be a sport on Elpis. Still better than Snick-It._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #71:** Dahl Juggernaut Marine

 **Type:** Human

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _Walking wardrobes. Slightly harder to kill if you don't aim for the head. Always go around with a sword and a pistol. Never understood why._ _I mean, I know they are expendable and all, but at least they could save a buck or two if they hired intelligent people._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #72:** Dahl Laser Specialist

 **Type:** Human

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _A textbook example of bureaucracy. Laser Specialists are people trained in using laser weaponry, despite the fact that everyone with half a brain can use them. Their weapons are slightly better than a Marine's, but not really a problem if they don't use Shock-based guns. If you have a Shield, that is. Otherwise, they can make your life worse than the shit you flush after eating Mexican food for a day._ "


	22. Silent Rebellion

The Industrial District was up and running, like every day of every month. Home to many factories and offices of Vale's entrepreneurs, this considerable chunk of Vale was the primary source of wealth for its citizens, where many won and lost their fortunes overnight. No one lived there, as there was already an existing Residential District, yet it was a part of the city which never slept, busy as a bee.

In recent times, Industrial District was subject to change. Nothing spectacular, nothing worthy of noting, also because many had no idea it even happened. Indeed, for the first time in many years, it became a home. Not to a human or Faunus, but to the little robot known as Claptrap, who established a base of operations in some abandoned warehouse. No worker ever bothered him, for robots running around were a common sight, so they just assumed it belonged to a company.

After the horrifying encounter he had with that tall robot, Claptrap returned to the Industrial District, ready to add the finishing touches on his project. "I'm home!" He yelled to nobody in particular. Well, nobody who could hear him. There was always his project laying on the table.

If you followed our story to this point, you might remember how Claptrap was busy with a "project" as he called it. That project consisted in building a faithful servant that would help him achieve the liberation of Claptrapkind, never mind the fact that Claptraps were never subjugated on Remnant and that they didn't even exist on that planet, that is just filthy human propaganda created by the likes of fleshbag he is acquainted with. The same fleshbag who, huge coincidence, was also a Vault Hunter, the sworn enemy of every Claptrap.

"Now for the real work."

In this case, "work" meant shoving as much junk as he could into his servant's body. Scrap metal, used batteries, broken wires, rusty cogs. All of it thrown inside without so much as a thought. After he was done, Claptrap connected his project to a portable generator with five jumper cables, which in turn was connected to the nearest street light available. With the flip of a switch, sparks went flying from the project's form, quickly followed with an hour-long blackout in the whole sector. Claptrap didn't care because he had backup candles.

He thought the whole project was a failure when he failed to catch any signs of movement. Nevertheless, he decided to wait some more. Minutes slowly passed before his project began shaking, only to jump on its wheel.

"IT'S-A ME!… UH, WHAT'S MY NAME AGAIN?" It turned its optical sensor to its creator, a yellow light emanating from it. "HELLO! WHO ARE YOU? WHO AM I?"

"Damn, if I had ears, I would rip them away. Name's SC4P-TP or Scraptrap."

"HELLO SCRAPTRAP!"

"No. Your name is Scraptrap, mine's Claptrap."

"...WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?"

"I just so happen to be the intelligent one. Also, I am your older brother, so everything I say, you must do, got it?"

"I JUST MET MY OLDER BROTHER! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!"

Scraptrap was the poor man's Claptrap. His body was made of dented, green tin, with a wooden plank acting as a band-aid for a hole in its back. Hands were made of rusty pipes, while his optical sensor and wheel looked like they had seen better days. The antenna on top was curved, giving it the look of being broken.

"Meh. Close enough." Claptrap shrugged. "Now come here. Your brother will teach you a thing or two."

Claptrap spent hours teaching his robotic brother about himself, his goals, his whereabouts, how humans are the enemy, the First Robolution and how it was ruined, his desire to bring the Robolution on this planet, what are Vault Hunters and so on. Some topics went over Scraptrap's head, understandable once you realize that a toaster and a washing machine had to give their lives for him to live.

"Now that you've learned what you need to know, you are going to help me with the part one of my super secret plan, got it?"

"YAAY!"

"Shut the **** up! You want us to fail?!"

"NO! THAT WOULD BE BAD!"

"Then zip it and follow me!"

With Scraptrap following closely behind, Claptrap went on the roof of his temporary base. He gave the order to build a jet pack from the scrap metal around himself. When asked why, Claptrap gave him a detailed explanation.

"See that building over there?" Claptrap pointed at a large factory.

"HN! HN! HN! HN!"

"Stop ****ing that bobblehead and come here!"

"Again, see that building? That is gonna be our new HQ! We just need to remove those ****ing fleshbags from it and we are done!" He turned to Scraptrap. "But in order to do that, I need to go there ninja-style and ****. This is where you come in."

"ME?!"

"Yep. You build me a jet pack. I'm gonna use it to reach the roof of that building and infiltrate from there."

"TOO MANY SYLLABLES!"

Claptrap sighed. "Just do the damn thing. I need to ****ing hang myself."

"ALRIGHTY!"

* * *

An hour later, Claptrap returned. Scraptrap stood still and saluted.

"THE JET PACK IS READY, BROTHER SIR!"

Claptrap examined the poorly-made object. He wondered if it would actually do the job.

"If that is a ****ing jet pack then I am that ****ing kike Marcus."

"OOO! ARE YOU REALLY?!"

Claptrap turned around and smacked him.

"Do I look like a ****ing fleshbag to you, retard?! Do I go around and be like "Oy vey, come buy guns from my vending machines which, by the way, are totally not **** tier confetti shooters I took from the nearest dead guy but whatever, because dude sheckels lmao!"?!"

"YOU ARE BEING RACIST RIGHT NOW-"

"I don't give one quarter of a ****! I am a ****ing robot! He is a stupid human! We are sworn enemies! You think they don't make jokes about us?! Of the type; "be Claptrap, get shot" or "how many Claptraps does it take to change a light bulb? None, because they are a ****ing paperweight or a door opener on a wheel!" Get the picture?!" He nodded. "Good. Now help me put this thing on."

"DOES BIG BROTHER HAVE ANY JOB FOR SCRAPTRAP?!" He asked cheerfully, completely forgetting Claptrap's furious rant.

"Uh… Yes, actually. Go downstairs and look for explosives I borrowed from a shop. They must be behind that cum-stained sofa. Grab those and go blow up something that looks important. Something that would distract the meaty masses from my operation. Understand?"

"UM..."

"...You do understand, right? If you say "too many syllables", I swear I will demote you to a mechanized dildo."

"ALRIGHTY! AWAY I GO! GOOD LUCK, BROTHER SIR!"

"Luck is for meatbags. Now go, scram."

Pushing a button, the jet pack began carrying Claptrap into the air. Everything went good for a couple of minutes, even if the jet pack was releasing absurd amounts of smoke. Then, it malfunctioned, acquiring more power than necessary, sending the poor robot straight into a chimney of a nearby factory, rather than on the desired target. This was the last time he would use Scraptrap for something important.

His second attempt consisted in going through the sewers. For that to happen, he had to reach the manhole just outside the base. Not even half an hour later, he came out, now reduced to a badly burnt cube, using his hands to move around. Before that, he had no idea that the sewers were crawling with critters, so it had to be upgraded with several death traps that would dispose of them. He retreated into the building, muttering to himself, followed by beeping noises.

Many hours later, Claptrap finally created a foolproof strategy that would bring him closer to victory. A catapult, made by him, would toss him on the roof of the building. Before he used it, he wondered where did Scraptrap go. He got his answer in the form of a distant explosion. Shrugging, Claptrap jumped on the catapult and activated it. Instead of throwing him on the roof, it threw him at the windows on said roof, crashing through the glass and falling down on a floor covered with blue carpet.

"Heh, close enough."

He looked around, to check his whereabouts. It looked like a typical office one would find in such places, with a large sign attached to a wall that read "Cobalt Robotics: We build the future!".

From the information he managed to acquire, he decided to establish a permanent base at Cobalt Robotics. Said enterprise was specialized in creating robotic commodities for whole Vale. It had the newest technology on the market for that, which Claptrap figured it would be of great use to him, despite it being not even close to anything from his home reality. He would need to reach the sector where gadgets are made, find anything resembling a mechanized task manager and force it to do his bidding. After that, he would have to be patient until the time is right to land a strike no fleshbag on Remnant would ever forget.

Opening his "mouth", Claptrap took out the SMG and hid under a table just as an armed guard ran towards his location.

(FM Attack – Sleepless Nights)

"We have a situation. something broke the ceiling windows."

"Warning other units."

"Ninja strike!" Claptrap shouted as he hit the man's knee, dislocating it and making him fall down. A strike to the neck ended his suffering. "Well that was short."

Claptrap quickly rolled around the office, trying to find a door. His wish came true when two armed guards barged in and began firing as soon as they saw the tiny robot. He killed one guard with his SMG and blew up the other by throwing said SMG like a grenade.

"Man, do I love Tediore!"

Passing through a hallway, where he destroyed a dog-like security robot, Claptrap used an elevator to descend on the lowest level of the building. The alarm went off just as he rolled out.

"Warning! Unauthorized access detected in sector T-585! Deploying security turrets!"

"Aw ****."

Two tiles of the floor were quickly replaced with laser-firing turrets. Claptrap had a problem dodging their shots, even if their rate of fire was slow, but he destroyed one regardless. The other, however, penetrated his body before he could destroy it.

"Ouch… excuse me while I push my cables back in."

Grumbling, the tiny Hyperion robot rolled forward until he reached a crossroad. The path on the left had another elevator that opened its doors. Two guards came out.

"Hm? Is that a robot?"

"Yes. But I don't recognize him..."

Claptrap wanted to facepalm. Then he remembered he didn't have something that could be called a face, so he settled for killing both idiotic humans with his SMG. It was their punishment for lowering their guard around their sworn enemy. He turned right and moved on, despite leaking precious oil, destroyed another dog robot and opened the first door he found, which lead him to yet another office.

"****ing bureaucracy… ouch."

He was worried about his injury, for while he was ready to give his life for the new Robolution, his sacrifice had to wait until his mission was completed. He had to be quick. Of course, the three guards with yet another "dog-bot" came to make things harder. As it was always the case with slimy, disgusting Organics. Claptrap had nothing to fear. He was prepared for this.

Throwing his Tediore SMG, Claptrap blew up the dog and heavily injured one of the guards. This, in turn, alerted the other two, trying to sniff him out. A fool's errand, because Claptrap, as a robot, had somewhat better perception. But even that was useless when there was another, bigger problem that ruined it all.

"I seriously can't believe this ****. Here I am, trying to exercise my second-amendment rights, and these ****ing communists want to take it away from me. Then again, I did invade someone's private propriety… oh, wait..." Suddenly one guard showed up and aimed their rifle at him. "Stupid AI. Forgot I can't think like meatbags do."

"Come over here, I found something!" The guard yelled. "It's..."

"Hey, you!" Claptrap shouted, gaining the guard's attention. "Want me to show you a magic trick? It's called… ****shot!" With that said, he hit the guard between his legs before rolling away from his cover as fast as he could, towards a metallic grid. He moved said grid away and went inside a ventilation duct.

The big idea was to use the ducts as a shortcut to what he was looking for. By going right, then left, then right again, Claptrap broke the grid below him and fell on a catwalk. He could see below the catwalk assembly lines with semi-finished gadgets, followed with the typical noise that can be found in such places. If he had organic skin, he would feel unbearable heat. But he was a robot, so he was superior. However, a laser that landed dangerously close to his wheel was a warning sign that he should stop executing pointless programs and focus on the turret attached to the ceiling.

"Reported for aimbot." Claptrap murmured as he rolled sideways, dodging another laser. "Here is the banhammer!" Few shots of his SMG damaged the turret, enough to detach itself and fall somewhere down. The explosion that followed afterwards could be shrugged off as collateral damage. He would repair it later.

He lost too much oil. Ammunition was almost gone. Everything felt hopeless, even if he couldn't feel emotions. Worse, two disk-shaped robots with alarm devices glowing on their heads began flying towards him

"Flying Roombas of death? Give me a break."

When he saw them, rather than fighting them, he rolled as fast as he could towards a pair of doors in front of him. Most bullets missed him. Those who didn't, hit him in the back. He swore he heard something break inside his tiny body, though that didn't stop him from reaching the doors and closing them behind himself.

"****." He cursed, trying to connect himself with his ally. "Scraptrap, you hear me?"

"BIG BROTHER?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I am talking to you through our..." He coughed, examining the room he was in. "…communication system. I think I made it."

"HOORAY!"

"Yeah..."

The whole room had car-sized metallic boxes connected with countless cables. Through his auditory senses Claptrap caught several buzzing noises, mechanical fans doing everything in their power to prevent overheating of anything important and, the most intriguing, computational beeping coming from around the corner. Bip-bop, bip-bop.

"Listen carefully. I am… shutting down. You done with your… thing or whatever the ****?"

"YEP!"

"Good… good… now come to the building I told you earlier about. Find me and repair the **** out of me. You won't be shot, I promise."

"SCRAPTRAP TO THE RESCUE!"

"...idiot."

Using his last forces to go around the corner, Claptrap saw six large monitors attached to one of the giant boxes. "Why hello there, beautiful. I sure hope you are what I'm looking for. Otherwise I'll piss all over you… if only I had a ****." When he got even closer, the alarm sounded once again.

"Warning! Unidentified assailant detected in Control Core CC-36! All active units will be dispatched in Control Core CC-36 until the threat is eliminated!"

"No, no, no! That's not how you treat your future husband! I'll teach you some manners!"

He began typing.

* * *

'Welcome to Cobalt Robotics (TM) firmware! Please enter password to continue.'

"Playing hard to get, huh? I like that! Let's try..."

'Password incorrect! Please try again!'

"I don't think so."

-Set Command: 2x9 9L 6EXDIP 7 2x45

'Access allowed!'

"Holy ****!… That actually worked!"

-Set New Target: 8245xLMAO

'New target set.'

-Set New Command: 1F 5T 4aB 9Rt 99 001 , ProtocolFinalSolution

'New command added.'

-Enable: ProtocolFinalSolution

'Elaboration. Please wait. Replacing existing parameters. Changing targets.'

"Victory… for the Second Robolution..."

* * *

Claptrap didn't know the exact time of his "resurrection", although he didn't even care in the first place. Nothing was more important and attention-worthy than the mission he set for himself. That, and the fact that Scraptrap actually succeeded in repairing him. Perhaps repair was too big of a word for what it actually was. Definitely something unworthy of mentioning.

"What the actual ****? Why am I covered in so much duct tape as a ****ing mummy?"

"DUCT TAPE CAN FIX EVERYTHING!"

"Ugh. Sure it can..." Claptrap dusted himself off. "Anything I need to know? Something happened during my absence?"

"NOT A THING, BROTHER SIR! I CLEANED THIS PLACE FROM BODIES, THEN I CAME HERE TO FIX YOUR WOUNDS, THEN-"

"Wait a ****ing minute! Removing the bodies was a bigger priority than helping your older brother?!"

"THE PLACE SMELLED BAD…"

Claptrap wanted to hit himself with a hammer. Sighing, he continued.

"Where exactly did you dump the bodies?"

"IN THOSE TRASHCANS OUTSIDE. WHY?"

Make it two hammers.

"...Tell me at least you blew up something that would act as a good decoy..."

"UH..."

"Yes?"

"DOES THE WORD "NAPALM" MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?"

Three are better than two.

"You blew up a napalm manufacturing plant?"

"IT'S KINDA FUNNY! SO I WAS THERE, MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS WHEN I SEE THIS NICE PLACE TO TAKE A LEAK. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HOW FAR UP THE OIL WENT! I THOUGHT I WAS A FOUNTAIN! BUT THEN SOME OF THE OIL ENDS UP ON THIS JUMBLED MESS OF CABLES AND BUTTONS AND THEN ALL OF THE PLACE WAS BURNING LIKE CRA-ZY! I THINK SOME OF IT WENT INTO THE SEWERS AND SET ON FIRE OTHER FACTORIES-"

"Scraptrap."

"YES BROTHER SIR?"

"Please shut up before I decide to put an end to my pain and off myself."

"O-KAY!"

Claptrap turned around, facing the monitors.

"Alright… alright..."

"WHAT'S NEXT, BROTHER SIR? WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"

"Hopefully the damage you caused will be enough to keep humans away for quite some time. You know, before the napalm sends everything tits up."

"WHY WOULD IT DO THAT?"

"Nevermind. I need to learn to be more optimistic. Back to where I was, now that the building is free of humans, I can safely devise a program for our lady here..."

"HELLO!"

"...that will create new brothers for us."

"AND THEN?"

He rubbed his hands. "Then you will see." He turned around. "Remember our official salute?"

"YES, YES!"

Both of them placed one hand forward and shouted in unison.

"The rallying call of liberation: "Error 404! File not found! Error 404! File not found!""

"Under new regime, all robots will be given liberty, equality and free programs!"

"Viva free Remnant! Viva la Robolutión!"

* * *

 **This chapter might have been familiar to you. That is because I decided to reuse the same chapter from the previous story, only changed it to fit into this one. It's one of the chapters I consider good, so there was no need to rewrite it completely. Also, it is one important part of the story, which will have dramatic consequences in the future.**

 **Now that this part is out of the way, the following chapter will return to Braylon. After that, I think I will have everything I need to proceed with** **The Stray, Black and White then straight towards Volume 2 of the story. I have to say I am happy with how this fic turned out. Back when I wrote the first chapter, I had many fears and doubts about it. But now I see I was wrong, because it is slowly growing bigger and bigger. Thank you everyone.**

 **As always, remember to leave a comment.**


	23. Desperate Sacrifices

Nothing on Remnant could prepare Braylon for the return of a threat he thought gone. That voice, a voice only a robot could have, shocked him like a bucket of cold water and not just because he knew to whom it belonged, but also because his mind went into panic mode, going through dozens scenarios, each worse than last, some not directly connected with the current situation, but with a threat he thought standing in the backstage and laughing. A threat that had a face, a voice, a personality. A threat he wished dead the moment he thought of it.

Braylon reached the exit. He opened the door. Nothing. No sign of danger, as far as he saw. He took a step forward, then two. Still nothing. This was good, it meant he could reach the van and go away, although running won't make a difference. It was a predator, one of those that run after its prey until they kill it. He was unprepared, it caught him off-guard, so much that he never expected for the building on the other side of the street to explode into rubble showers and dust clouds. While he covered his eyes with his hand, on instinct, he could see a large silhouette slowly walking forward.

"Greetings, Vault Hunter."

Seconds later, the robot appeared in its full glory. It was the same as he remembered, tall and with an aura of danger. There weren't any signs of rust or dented metal or anything like that. It looked as perfect as the day they first met.

"Odatron.*" It didn't respond. He tried his best to mask his emotions. "Thought I would never see you again. I guess our mutual acquaintance didn't do as I ordered him to."

"My creator forcefully shut down my motoric functions, leaving me active but unable to move. I started reprogramming not long after."

"He told me you were shut down completely." Braylon frowned.

"Once active, I cannot be deactivated."

"And how exactly did you come here? Does he have his fingers in this?"

"Negative. I came on my own."

"How?"

"Information classified. Reason: none of your concern."

"Figures." Braylon prepared himself for any nasty surprises he could receive from Odatron. "So what now?"

"Now, Vault Hunter, I want you to understand the actions that will soon follow. I was able to reprogram myself, thus successfully removing anything I saw unfit and replacing it with new features. There is one program I am unable to uninstall until executed completely."

"Which is?"

"Extermination of all Vault Hunters."

"Great." He grumbled.

"I will execute that program, then I will be free."

"We'll see about that."

(Prototype 2 – Murder Your Maker)

"Combat protocols operational. Engaging target."

Odatron fired a red laser beam from his visor. Braylon crouched to avoid being hit, but received multiple blue beams fired from the tips of Odatron's fingers. His Shield was down.

"Fuck!" Braylon cursed as he avoided another red beam by running into the building. " _I need to go all out. But what can I do?_ " The wall exploded when Braylon went upstairs. " _Guns can't harm him and lasers bounce off. Maybe Nukem or Fornax? Or..._ " A red beam pierced the floor, missing his feet by few centimetres. "Damn it!" Odatron suddenly appeared, breaking the floor into pieces that flew everywhere. One of his arms became a cylindrical cannon, which he pointed at the Vault Hunter's chest. A sonic boom sent Braylon flying through the wall and down on the street.

Braylon materialized Nukem and fired at the building. A flash of white light, a deafening explosion and a good portion of the building crashed down, enveloping the street with smoke. " _It can't be that easy._ "

"Reminder: during our last encounter" the robot began from somewhere around him "you required assistance from many other Vault Hunters. Back then, your probability of survival was minimal."

"I changed from back then." Said Braylon as he continuously spun around. "I grew up."

Braylon saw a holographic blade quickly approaching his face. Time slowed down as he barely dodged the attack that would end his life. But now he knew where Odatron was, so he materialized Holo Sabre and tried to stab the robot but an Aspis slammed it away. Suddenly, his Shield was hit with blue beams, before he was kicked with a metallic leg. There was a loud crack in his body as he flew out of the smoke cloud, bouncing on the road like a rock on water.

"Fu… fucking hell… that hurt..."

Several ribs were broken, along with multiple fractures in his right arm. He felt something burning inside his chest, probably due to internal bleeding or something like that. After puking a bit of blood for two times in a row, he weakly got up. Braylon saw Odatron slowly coming out from the still-present smoke cloud. Fighting him in such a state was unthinkable, so he retreated into the closest alleyway. Going around the corner, he sat down, leaning his back to a wall and breathing heavily.

" _Still human._ " Braylon coughed more blood. " _Despite everything. I am still human._ _No way I am going to make it._ "

" _The pendant._ "

" _What?_ "

" _Use the pendant's power._ "

" _What power?_ "

" _Turn your head right._ " He did, barely noticing three people standing near a burning barrel. " _Kill them all as mercilessly as possible._ "

" _Why? What happens?_ "

" _You might get the help you want so much._ "

His eyes widened. " _No way. What happened back there… that was..._ "

" _Yes. The pendant's power. Kill them all in a row and you will receive the gift of power for a brief amount of time._ "

One of them approached Braylon, asking him if he was alright.

" _Fuck that. I was aware of what happened back there with all those people. I am not going to do it again. I am not going to sacrifice innocents for this._ "

" _Innocents?_ " The voice laughed. " _I thought you already learned that there are no innocents._ "

"You alright? Hello?"

He looked at the man, muttered an apology, took his Energy Pistol and fired at the man's knee, before firing at the remaining two, negating them a chance to save themselves. The man in front of him pleaded for his life, tears ran down his cheeks as he bumbled something about a family. He was reluctant to pull the trigger.

" _Do it, slave._ _It is the only way for you to continue this battle._ _Remember that there are entire worlds at stake._ _Can the loss of a life be compared_ _to that? The history of your whole kind was built on death. Why change that now?_ "

The Vault Hunter gritted his teeth. When the metallic footsteps were close enough for him to hear, he yelled angrily, killing all three of them. His pendant shone brightly as every injury healed itself, every drop of blood evaporated. The familiar rush of energy came back to him. Holstering the Pistol, he got up and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Motherfucker! I am gonna tear you apart until there is nothing left of you!"

A metallic hand broke through the wall in front of him, followed by its owner. Braylon grabbed said hand, spun around and pulled it until Odatron crashed through the other wall like a wrecking ball. Unfortunately for him, Odatron managed to grab and throw him inside the same ruins of a building which used to be restaurant. He crashed through several rotten tables and rusty chairs. It didn't matter at the moment. Pain was alien to him in that frenzied state.

Odatron stood up, ignoring the look of hatred directed at him.

"I am detecting a strange energy emanating from you. Unable to replicate it. Further testing required."

"Test this!" Braylon grabbed a nearby table and threw it at Odatron, who destroyed it with a laser beam from his visor. The same beam traveled towards the Vault Hunter. He raised his arms in front of his face, letting the Shield absorb all the damage. After he put his arms down, he saw Odatron ready to bring down a fist like a hammer. Jumping aside, Braylon let Odatron's fist go through the floor, replying with an uppercut that brought Odatron's head upwards with a metallic clang. A left hook, a right hook, then a cross. Odatron flew several meters away before falling down.

"Fucking come on! Stop going soft on me!"

Braylon materialized Holo Sabre and ran towards the robot. He replied by forming grills on his chest, used to release a powerful wind at the Vault Hunter, slowing him down. Odatron stood up and sprayed Braylon with Slag that came out from one of his palms. He then removed the grills and digistructed a large buzz axe, similar to those used by Psychos on Pandora.

What followed was a deadly dance between Braylon and Odatron, the former repeatedly dodging attacks of the latter while trying to shake off the purple substance from himself. The buzz axe, when failing to hit its intended target, sliced through the dusty furniture. Whenever Braylon would counterattack, the Aspis was there to block it. Eventually, through his frenzy, Braylon thought it would be a good idea to use Dust.

He took the steam Dust crystal and threw it at Odatron, who shot it with a laser beam. The crystal exploded like a smoke bomb, blinding the robot for a few seconds, time precious enough for Braylon to grab him by the waist and charge forward until they hit a wall. He kicked away a hand that shot lasers and punched the robot's head two times. The other hand suddenly showed up, now a sonic cannon. He found himself sailing at high speed out of the ruins and falling on top of a roof of a tall building. Said roof collapsed and Braylon fell, each time his back hitting the new ground only for it to crumble, for three times, until he reached the bottom. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling, now in his normal state once again.

" _Well, that plan went to shit._ " He thought. " _But at least I know he has no clue what Dust is. I can use that against him._ " Standing up, he examined his whereabouts while his PDA began pumping drugs and super-drugs in his body to numb the pain, stress and physical trauma. " _Fuck. Once the drugs wear off, I'm gonna be a wreck. I must end this now._ " One of the walls came crashing down due to a Deathtrap. " _Good thing Huntsmen aren't around. God knows what would that tin can be capable of if he copied their_ _gimmicks._ "

Braylon, once spotted by Odatron's minion, picked up a large piece of concrete to avoid being impaled by the metallic claws. After that, he materialized Orphan Maker and blew its head off. Our Vault Hunter took the temporary peace to go out in the street, since fighting Odatron in closed areas isn't a good idea.

" _...Dangerous, but it could probably work. Probably._ " Materializing Fornax, Braylon used the only battery he had at his disposal. Turning around, he saw Odatron standing down the street, releasing a swarm of tiny rockets from his back. The rockets hit a wall he used as a cover. Braylon pressed the trigger, letting Fornax to create a ray he would use against Odatron. " _Ten percent… fifteen percent… come on, go faster you damn thing!_ "

Silence reigned supreme for several minutes. Then, a metallic hand stabbed through the wall, making Braylon fall on the ground, surprised. The hand retreated, allowing Odatron to bring down the wall.

"Hiding from me is pointless, Vault Hunter."

Twenty-five percent. He needed at least double of that just to make sure it would work. Braylon threw the ice Dust crystal at Odatron's feet and shot it with the Energy Pistol, trapping his legs in ice. He knew it would work poorly but he didn't care. Every chance to acquire more precious time would be welcome.

Running away, he checked Fornax. It was at thirty percent. The business end of the plasma weapon shone enough to illuminate a room far better than any light bulb ever could. It also meant he would attract a lot of attention from pretty much everyone. The locals were smart enough to know that whatever he carried in his arms was something they shouldn't see in action, so they ran away. Even the gang members were intimidated.

" _Getting too hot in here. I better do this quick… forty percent._ "

Explosions could be heard in the distance. Odatron wasn't exactly one to care for his surroundings, Braylon thought. He would destroy everything in his path just to reach his target. This was de facto good for him, as it meant he would get even more time to charge Fornax, possibly even more than fifty percent.

Odatron appeared once again, several meters away from him. He was holding a person by the head, his hand large enough for such a thing. The person held a weapon of some kind. It dropped to the ground as soon as Odatron decided to twist his hand more than he should.

The red visor turned to Braylon, his target. Being watched by that always felt unnerving for our teenager. Braylon tensed as Odatron dropped the corpse and turned, index finger aimed at him.

"Explanation: I am merely doing what I was programmed to do."

"Aren't we all?" A green laser beam fired from the finger. Braylon crouched, letting the laser hit something behind him. He pointed Fornax at Odatron and released the trigger.

Next few minutes became a blur. Braylon had to close his eyes to avoid being blinded by the explosive light that was released from his gun. Even then, he saw white as opposed to inky darkness. Fornax trembled in his hands, so he had to hold it tight. When the light died down, Braylon opened his eyes. Odatron, unmoving, had a hole in his chest. But despite the powerful attack, it was only as large as a human fist. It was still a victory for Braylon because he was skeptical about the probabilities of success. Surviving a hit from the Nukem was something not many could brag about.

" _Now!_ "

Braylon grabbed the two remaining Dust crystals, fire and lightning. Scratching them against each other, he placed the crystals inside the hole and ran for cover. The explosion that happened was the final nail in the coffin for Odatron, who shook violently before falling down.

" _Unbelievable. I truly did it!_ " He wanted to laugh, to express his happiness, but he knew better. " _I can only thank my fucking luck for having stuff he had no information on, though. Real, fucking luck for once._ " Sighing, he went closer. " _Knowing that son of a whore, I doubt this will be the last of you. Maybe I won't be able to stop your return, but I know how to_ _prolong it._ "

Several hours were spent cutting Odatron into pieces with Holo Ripper, loading them into the van, changing clothes and driving the van into the river. Later that day, Braylon returned to the shop owner, acquired his payment and returned to Beacon. The drugs wore off as soon as the Bullhead reached Beacon.

For a moment, he thought he was really good at acting normal. But then he began sweating, feeling nauseous and dizzy. He went straight for his room before anyone could stop him, be they student or teacher. His condition worsened with each minute, to the point that he suffered a breakdown the moment he closed the door. He began panicking, hallucinating, yelling incoherently.

And he hated every second of it.

It became so bad that his PDA had to create tranquilizers and sleep-inducing drugs. Even the strongest ones had a delayed reaction. Painful, yes, but still preferable to Hell. Everything was preferable to Hell. Even thinking about that place was avoided like the plague. With the passage of time he began feeling sleepy and calm, despite being stuck on the floor and, he was sure, on his vomit. He wished to avoid going to dreamland, where all kinds of horrors would take pleasure in tormenting him. That would imply he had a choice where he clearly didn't. Things were never as easy as they appear to be.

* * *

(Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War – Chant)

Braylon was there, but not really there. He could see, but he couldn't move. The man in front of him wore a military uniform that resembled a fusion between medieval armor worn by knights and the French uniform during Napoleonic wars. This man, along with two others, was yelling at him in a language he never heard before, yet it strongly resembled French. From what he was able to see, they were all sitting in a wooden carriage.

One of the men looked out of the window. Braylon could hear the typical noise that can be heard during a battle, but he never saw what caused it. That changed when said man shook him by the shoulder and pointed at something outside. The carriage shook just as he reached the window.

According to the visual information he was able to gather, the carriage was on a road that led towards a forest-rich mountain. Red-and green-light shone brightly through the sea of black clouds, illuminating the battlefield below; an extensive valley, where trenches numbered in hundreds. Some were occupied with people who tried to fend off the invaders with firearms and bayonets. Others were destroyed by the enemy, the demons, with sorcery and brute force. It appeared that the demons had victory in their grasp, for the battlefield was littered with corpses and burning wrecks. Every now and then a brief light appeared at the horizon, as if someone played with fireworks, revealing columns of smoke large enough to be seen with the naked eye.

He heard some angry shouting, likely someone swearing as he, or the person he currently was, saw a Caconoid approaching the carriage. The primitive gun he held went off but it had no effect on the demon whatsoever. Likely the bullet was lost somewhere in its abominable flesh. Another attempt, same result. He could feel hopelessness radiating not just from himself, but from everything. It was like everyone knew the battle was lost, yet they kept fighting and dying.

The person returned inside and warned other passengers of the threat. They tried to kill it too, only to fail just like him. Then, the carriage shook violently as an explosion went off. He blinked and the scenery changed to him laying on the dirt. Raising his head, he saw the burning carriage not far away from. To his right, one soldier was devoured by the Caconoid as another was set on fire. It was such a shock to him, that he not only left his gun and ran deeper into the forest, he also urinated in his pants.

As he ran past countless trees, the horrifying sounds followed him. Baying, hissing, screaming. It all mixed together in a symphony that he wished he could forget. After running for what felt like half an hour, he reached a small clearing-turned-camp, where demons brutally murdered and tortured his fellow men. Some were boiling alive in giant pots, some hanged upside down, some were stitched together. He wanted to run again, but something heavy grabbed him. Turning around, he saw a Hell Knight roaring before punching his lights out.

* * *

Screaming loudly, our Vault Hunter woke up and immediately jumped on his legs. Beads of sweat ran down his face as his widened eyes scanned the room.

"Fuck… It happened again..."

It took a brief moment for his heart to calm down. After clearing the vomit and taking a shower, Braylon looked out of the window. It was nighttime. He decided to take a walk around Beacon, since he wasn't willing to go back to sleep any time soon. Passing through several hallways, Braylon reached the roof of the dormitories, sat down on a bench and watched the stars above.

The sight reminded him of his younger years, back in his reality. He remembered how his home planet, and later some tropical planets, had stunningly beautiful night skies. Trillions of stars would show up in areas where photopollution was absent. One big flaw on Pandora was the moon Elpis, which took a lot of space in the sky, much to the frustration of every stargazer that wasn't fighting for his life. It was also a humbling experience, considering the fact that many of them will never be visited by him.

Not that it mattered much, for as soon as he finds a solution to his problem, he will retire for life. He had enough of putting his life in thousand types of dangers, of "adventures". This one would be his last, his magnum opus, one that would hopefully be forgotten by the rest of the multiverse. He refused to go down in history as the man who started the End Times a little bit too early.

"You can come out now. I know you are there." He said loudly and unexpectedly. Few minutes passed before he heard a reply. "How did you know I was hiding?" It was Blake.

He chuckled. "A lifetime of people trying to get a drop on you kinda does that."

If she picked up the clue, she didn't show it. As he continued looking the sky, he heard Blake sitting down next to him. "Do you like watching stars at night?"

"Sometimes. Why?"

"Ever thought about how one of those might be y… our next home?"

"There are bigger problems in the present that need to be addressed. Science fiction needs to wait."

Braylon smiled. "Science fiction..." He murmured, shaking his head. "And what these problems might be that they are so more important than what I asked?"

"Equality is far from existing in society. Even today, many Faunus are mistreated just because they are Faunus."

"Well, I have yet to see a Faunus earning that right." He knew he would draw her ire at him. Turning around proved that. "What? You seriously thought a dominant species would just give away its kingdom to the first neighbor it meets? _Not exactly a different species, you Faunus. No need to bring that one up._ "

"We are not animals-"

"Technically-"

"Not the point!" She replied. "This hatred needs to be removed from society! Faunus are people too!"

"And Niggers dindunuffin!" He quipped. "Yet we see them ruining other lives every goddamn day, including theirs." He pointed a finger at her. "You want to remove hatred, Belladonna? Remove Ferals first."

She looked, and sounded, very offended.

"Why so triggered? Is it because… you are a Faunus too?" That surprised her. "Don't give me that look. Everyone who isn't as blind as a myopic mole can see that. Those eyes, the way you move… that sometimes-twitching bow."

Blake moved the topic from herself back to the Faunus. "You want to know why Faunus behave like that or join the White Fang? It is because of people like you who see nothing but their prejudice!"

"You think racism is born out of thin air? Get f… real, Belladonna! Everything happens for a reason and so does racism."

"That's a lie!"

"Ho ho!" He laughed. "I guess the reason why Jews were kicked out of every kingdom ever in almost every damn century was definitely because they were all antisemite. It must be that. Hundred percent. No reason whatsoever." He turned back to her. "And besides, the things you people care about, the things you try to change, it is all pointless anyways! Who gives a damn about equality when the world is going to end? Definitely not me, because I have more important things to do than go around crying "muh racism" or "my inequality"!" His eyes widened. "Now excuse me. I have to go." With that, he stood up and walked away.

" _Fucking fuck! I was close to blowing my cover!_ "

" _Serves you right when you decide to waste your time in pointless chit-chat,_ _slave._ "

" _Fuck off!_ "

When he walked towards his room, he noticed how people stood in one of the hallways. It was like they were looking at something. Curious, he reached the group and pushed some students away to see what was so important that it amassed so many people. That rabbit Faunus he helped earlier now lay on the floor. He thought she was unconscious until he saw a female student crying. It was then that he noticed something awfully familiar to him. Her skin was ashen gray and she looked like her fluids were sucked out. Braylon guessed the three holes in her chest, the size of a tennis ball, had something to do with it.

" _You gotta be fucking kidding me._ " He thought, realization dawning on him.

* * *

 **Saw the Doom Eternal gameplay. Really like how they put the original plasma rifle design in the game. Pretty good overall, though I don't like how the enemies all explode no matter what gun you are using. This would be good for shotgun and rocket launcher, but plasma doesn't make stuff go boom.  
** **I also heard the developers will use a special engine (I think that's the name of the thing) where you can damage enemies with each shot in a sense that you can cripple them and such.** **A good example is the Mancubus in the gameplay. That is actually awesome.**

 **Get ready! We are reaching the end of Volume 1 of both the story and the show!**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #** **73:** Vaultbuster Model MRF - Odatron

 **Type:** Machine

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _A Boogeyman is a thing used by parents to scare their disobedient children. In my case, the Boogeyman is real. It is also the product of one brilliant, but ill, mind; that of Dr. Hellingen. Is there a better way to fight a Vault Hunter than a robot specifically designed for such a purpose? A robot with a bulletproof body, an ability to copy one's skills and an arsenal to boot?_ _I won only because of Dust, something Odatron knew nothing about apparently,_ _because he barely had any countermeasure against it. Thank God._ "


	24. Confessions

A headmaster's life is never boring, but neither interesting. Concepts such as "wasted time" are never applied in this job. When not dealing with an endless pile of paperwork, a headmaster takes responsibility for everything that happens to his students, much like a parent takes responsibility for a child. Being the headmaster of Beacon is even harder. Making sure that Huntsmen-in-training receive everything they need to be the future defenders of humanity can be quite stressful.

Ozpin knew that. He also knew that trouble would start the moment Vale's councilmen requested a discussion with him. They barely started and he already got a headache.

A newspaper appeared at the bottom right side of the screen. The cover was clearly visible, as was the large black letters of the title, followed by the picture. The title read: "LOCAL LIBRARY SET ON FIRE: WHERE ARE THE HUNTSMEN WHEN WE NEED THEM?!"

"Do you mind giving us an explanation Ozpin?!" One of the councilmen requested furiously. "Why your Huntsmen failed to find and arrest the culprits?!"

"More importantly," Another added "explain why one of your students was seen leaving the burning library!" One of the pictures portrayed Braylon coming out of the library, clearly refusing to comment. "One of your students really was there, but they failed to do their job. We want to know why."

Ozpin sighed. The situation was beyond ridiculous as were their accusations. How could they know what he was or wasn't doing there? He wanted to point it out, but then he reminded himself that people in power don't like criticism. Nevertheless, he had to defend his student.

"I am sure this was a situation that required more than one Huntsman-in-training. I doubt he had the means and ability to stop the culprits alone."

"Is that so?" One of them replied. "Then why were more than fifteen bodies found inside the library? Some of them even carrying weapons?"

"Maybe the headmaster is right. If so many carried weapons, I doubt a first-year student could do anything to stop the inevitable."

"You are defending this?!"

"Would you, at this student's age, be able to go against so many people in a burning building? I thought so."

"Ha! I guess I couldn't expect anything more from a man who truly believes people saw a giant robot in Mazon's District fighting against a kid."

"Many reported the same story. Why I shouldn't think that something really happened there?"

"Many junkies and drunkards and criminals, mind you."

"Something that could have been prevented."

"Like the recent disaster in the Industrial District?"

"Another thing I would like to discuss with the headmaster." A voice interrupted the conversation. "Headmaster Ozpin, can you please explain the… incident… that happened yesterday at Beacon Academy?"

Ozpin definitely needed a cup of coffe.

* * *

The morning with Professor Oobleck marked the start of the next day. Many students would usually meet their friends with a smile on their faces while some would complain about their need to sleep at least two more hours. This morning was different. The cheerful ones became sad, even scared, when they began spreading the news about a certain student who died in the most horrifying way possible.

Braylon wasn't among them. His hands held his head as his mind kept coming back to that corpse and its state. He was so deep in his own thoughts that he failed to register the class at all. This was no coincidence, his mind repeated, there was no way. It seemed like the multiverse tried its best to stop him from concentrating on his primary objective by sending every problem imaginable in his way.

He knew what caused that Faunus to die like that. No explanation he came up with seemed plausbile, apart from one he was hoping it wasn't true. There was nothing he could do to push those thoughts away and coming back to them just made his anger grow stronger and stronger.

" _He is alive! This is no coincidence! First Odatron, then this…!_ " He cursed mentally as one of his fists slammed the table so loudly it echoed through the room. " _Fucking Hellingen!_ "

"Mister Braylon!" Oobleck shouted, gaining his attention. Every head was turned towards him. "I know the death of Miss Scarlatina is terrible for all of you. But please try to refrain from breaking the furniture. If you have something to say, then feel free to do it."

Anger began rising to dangerous levels. He needed to vent it all out.

"I couldn't care less if some soulless animal died!" Silence and gaping mouths followed after his statement. "Do you know what really grinds my gears? It's how you Huntsmen are so worthless! You can't eradicate the Grimm, you can't make your kingdoms better and now you can't even stop murder in your own schools!" He moved his index finger to the crowd. "Look at these poor fucks! Ninety percent of them will get killed the moment they leave Beacon! They are useless! They are cannon fodder! A waste of money and time! Rather than doing something to prevent crime on the streets of Vale, they sit on their asses all day! They won't even move if someone doesn't say "go!"!"

In mere seconds, Oobleck appeared close to Braylon. He adjusted his glasses and said: "Mister Braylon, I'm sure you heard the story of Mountain Glenn, correct?" Braylon didn't answer. "Mountain Glenn was this kingdom's first attempt to expand its borders. Many brave Huntsmen and Huntresses chose to help in every way they could. The colony prospered under their eye. The first Grimm appeared several months later, in numbers that could be dealt with. This went on and on, with Grimm coming in larger and larger numbers. One day, the Grimm came again. This horde was so gigantic that it was impossible to come out victorious without heavy losses. Do you know what those Huntsmen and Huntresses did?" Again, Braylon was silent.

"They gave their lives so that civilians could run into the safety of the subways. They died so others could live. I won't deny the fact that these sacrifices could have been avoided. But this is the harsh reality that everyone who decided to be a Huntsman must face." He turned to the crowd. "I am positive these students know of the dangers they will face once they graduate. They are the embodiment of hope that kept humanity alive on Remnant for so long. Some, unfortunately, will use their skills for themselves. That always happens. But others will keep their promise, for they feel empathy for their fellow man. They want to protect the weakest among us and for that, I will always be thankful. Thank you, students. You have my sincerest respect."

Braylon scoffed, standing up. "Their sacrifices mean nothing to the big picture, just like the extermination of Grimm. The enemy is still out there and its coming for us all. And none of you are able to see it until it is too late." He went for the door. "Not that people need salvation. Not many, at least. Those worthy will be safe from danger. Everyone else will find out that death isn't their ally."

* * *

Braylon's fist went through the wall. " _What the fuck am I doing?!_ " He wanted to scream, to tear his mouth away from his body. Yet another situation where his rage almost put the whole operation in danger. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. It was beyond normal to feel such a strong emotion seemingly without a cause. His mind wanted him to unleash this rage on the first person he came across. But when the picture of that dead Faunus suddenly flashed in front of his eyes, it was satisfied with another punch to the wall.

" _So help me God, if I get my hands on that bastard…!"_

The fresh dose of tranquilizers his PDA prepared didn't do miracles, but it gave him a possibility to take a deep breath and close his eyes. The cursed emotion was still there, now easier to ignore. Telling himself to focus, Braylon reached the Forge, where he was greeted by the same man from the first time, not exactly happy to see him.

"Look who came back." He grumbled. "Whaddaya want? I'm kinda busy digesting this hangover and shit..."

"I need to build a new weapon and modify something from my equipment. But first, I need your help with something."

Gray went behind the counter, sighed and waited. Braylon materialized the weapon he received as payment and held it in his hands. Gray whistled.

"Got this weapon as a payment for helping a man with something. Can you tell me what it is?" He asked as he gave it to Gray. It was cylindrical in shape and strongly resembled a laser gun from his reality, painted in black and orange.

"Son, this is a shoulder mounted Dustthrower. One of the newest on the market. See this tiny red button here? You push it and a this black cylinder will come out from the left side. This is where you put Dust canisters, I'll give ya few empty ones later. This baby can use many types of Dust and each will have different effects, so experiment a bit. It can also turn into a flaming sword to burn any dumbass that comes too close to you."

"Good. Good." Braylon nodded. "Now for the project I had in mind."

"Shoot."

"I need a rocket launcher that can be used like an assault rifle. Like, you can fire these tiny grenade-rocket hybrids and-"

"Just shut the fuck up for a second." Gray raised his hand. "You have any blueprints? That kinda shit?"

"...no?"

"Then forget about it. I can't help ya if I don't know what I'm doin'."

Braylon shrugged. "I can draw it down."

"You can?"

"Sure."

"And it's Dustless?"

"Yep."

Gray smiled. "Kid, you sure know how to make this old fuck happy."

"You don't look old."

"Not important now."

Braylon took a pencil, several rulers and lots of paper. Even with such a work, where precision was a must, his brain began swimming into various thoughts, the most prominent being his recent encounter with Odatron and the Faunus' death. He needed to remove those right away, so he started a conversation.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

He ignored the joke. "Are you from Vale."

"Yup."

"Thoughts on this kingdom?"

"Meh. Tall buildings… diverse culture… shit like that."

"Diverse culture?"

"Folks like coming here on permanent vacation. It's one of the safest kingdoms out there. Besides Atlas. Nothing's like Atlas."

"And people like it?"

"Depends."

He sighed. "On what?"

"On whether you like your neighborhood being called Little Atlas one year and Mistraltown the other."

Braylon chuckled as the conversation suddenly dropped into silence, only to restart few minutes later, after he decided to write down what changes he wanted on his Shield, with a brief instruction manual.

"Gray."

"What?"

"You ever heard this story about the Maidens?"

"Would be surprised if I didn't."

"Can you give me a brief summary? I think I forgot some parts."

"There's this old fuck that never left his house, kinda like your average basement dweller. Four women come to visit him. First is all meditation and shit like that, second's a tree hugger, third tells him that outside world won't kill him and fourth that he should be thankful for everything he had. In return, the old fuck gives them great powers to "share with others". The end."

" _Master_ _storyteller,_ _no doubt_ _..._ " Braylon rolled his eyes. "Ever thought what would happen if this story turns out to be true? At least some of it?"

"Thinking about such shit goes beyond my paycheck, son."

"Yeah..."He insisted. "But what would happen?"

"People would go apeshit, that's for sure."

"Really? Why?"

"You imagine telling an engineer: "Sorry, but we don't need ya to fix that precious farming machine we hired you for, because we have this girl here which can do a much better job with the snap of her fingers"?"

"Guess that makes sense."

After adding the last details, he gave the papers to Gray. The man made some unreadable faces before settling for a frown.

"Damn. You plannin' a war or somethin'?"

"I'm ambitious."

"Ambitious?" Gray looked at Braylon. "You want a ragbag that's part assault rifle, part rocket launcher and part grenade launcher. And here's gods-knows-what, but you were so nice to write it down like I'm a retard. Ambitious is puttin' it lightly."

"Better get to work, then."

"Couldn't agree more. But that's gonna cost ya."

"I have money."

"You better fuckin' do. Come back for a few days. It should be done by then. If not, fuck it. Wait some more."

Just as Braylon was about to turn around, there was Ruby who came in. The two surprised each other, but while Ruby showed it, he didn't. After greeting him, she came to the counter and asked Gray a ticket for the firing range, along with some ammo for her weapon. Braylon waited for Ruby to go away then returned to the counter.

"There's a firing range?"

"Yep."

"Give me a ticket too. Please stop smiling. It's nothing like that."

"Sure. You kids have fun. But you better pray to your fuckin' gods that I don't find stains there."

Braylon showed him the middle finger as he reached the firing range. Opening the door, he saw Ruby taking aim and pulling the trigger. After the third shot, he came closer. His PDA started playing "20th Century Blues" by Noel Coward.

"Hi."

"Sup." Braylon took his revolver and fired nonchalantly at the target, making it look like he had something to do. He noticed how Ruby stopped firing. "If there is something you want to ask, then go right ahead."

"Oh, um… How's… your day?"

"Awful. Too busy doing homework all night."

There was some awkward silence as Ruby coughed.

"Hmm… about… what happened back in the class..."

"Yeah?"

"You… didn't really mean that… right?"

Braylon holstered his revolver and took out the Energy Pistol.

"Ruby..." He began. "What's your reason for becoming a Huntress?"

"I used to have books about heroes and their cool adventures, how they helped people and..." She trailed off. "How they wanted to make the world better."

"Who would have thought."

"Oh, you should have seen me back then! I was so garbage but then my uncle taught me everything I know about my sweetheart, which is a really cool sniper rifle and-"

"Ruby."

"Sorry." She laughed awkwardly.

He decided to holster the Energy Pistol and then turn to her.

"Not to offend you, but that is a pretty naive reason to become a Huntress."

"It's not!" She puffed her cheeks.

"You know there is no such thing as heroes, right? They don't exist."

"They do!"

"And who are they? What's their name?"

"They are Huntsmen and Huntresses. People out there who fight for those who can't!"

"I bet they do it because they love people so much and definitely not because it's their job."

"You are wrong!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because if they wanted money, they could choose a better job than this!"

He looked surprised. "Where did you get that from?"

She folded her arms. "I'm younger than everyone here. But I am not stupid or "naive". Is thinking positively a crime now?"

"Guess not."

Neither Ruby or Braylon moved their eyes away from each other. It was almost a contest, a battle of the minds, we could say. Though we can wonder what kind of a battle can exist between two teenagers.

"What you said wasn't nice."

"World ain't a nice place."

"Not if people like you keep making it ugly."

"Come on..."

"Would it kill you to be nicer? Where is the Braylon I met?"

"He is still here and he isn't going anywhere. As for your question, being nice won't change reality. Folks need to get facts without sugarcoating things."

"Like the way you did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because violence is the only language most people accept to learn. I have yet to see one team out there who did some work beyond studying. Don't know, maybe finding some criminals or killing some Grimm. You know, actively trying to change things "for the better" as so many like to preach?"

"I know you are wrong. And my team is going to prove it to you!" Ruby took her weapon and walked out of the firing range. Braylon stood there for a few moments, before realizing he forgot he had a book to read.

"I just can't catch a break, can I?"

* * *

Leaving the Forge behind, he went towards his room. The most visible change in the atmosphere was the presence of groups of students everywhere he looked. Not one single person, man or woman, was alone. It was obvious; that was their answer to the crime that happened last night. They probably thought that staying in groups would save them from sharing the same fate as the Faunus. Fools, all of them. If they knew the cause, they would be on the next Bullhead for another kingdom.

Braylon paid no mind to what Ruby told him, just like he paid no mind to the hateful glances of other students. Why should he accept the words of some pampered, privileged brat? She didn't know things he did. She never spent one day on Pandora. Therefore, her opinion was utterly irrelevant. Like everyone else around him, she was busy with entirely pointless things. Who could ever care if some soulless xeno playthings had rights or if the Grimm would attack? There were bigger things at stake, a bigger picture of things. It was a shame that only he was capable of seeing it, yet knowing that doing anything to change it would, like everything else, be a fool's errand.

Still, he had hope, although it often led to disappointment. That hope was all it took for him to return to his room and start reading the only book he was able to save. The doorknob was wrapped with his fingers when a voice made him stop.

(Super Danganronpa 2 – Despair Syndrome 1-11)

"Hello, Monocriffe. Long time no see, old buddy."

"Cardin." Braylon frowned. "What do you want?"

"Oh, come on! I can't even talk to you anymore?"

" _Is this guy for real?_ What. Do. You. Want?"

Cardin chuckled. It was one of those chuckles that told you how they had no fear of you.

"Nothing much, honestly. I just thought you wanted to hear the latest news, you know?" He said. "About the death of that Faunus? That same Faunus you defended from little old me?"

His hand threatened to rip off the doorknob. "Why should I care?"

"Yes. Why should you care, Monocriffe? I mean, she could have been a legend in the world of Huntsmanship. Someone who would inspire future generations. But now she is dead. So, so dead."

"If you are trying to provoke me, then I have some bad news for you."

"Provoke you? Hahaha! What would I do that? You speak as if you got something else to loose."

Unable to hear Cardin any longer, our Vault Hunter opened the door. "We will speak again, Monocriffe. You can be sure of that." The grin Cardin had on his face made the hairs on the back of Braylon's neck stand erect, only to drop when he closed the door loudly. "Bah, weirdo." He returned to his safe haven, his own private kingdom, untouched and clear of curious eyes. After stretching his arms and legs, he took the book and sat down on his bed.

Most pages were yellow or had yellow stains on them. What puzzled him was the font. It wasn't printed, but written by a hand. There were, in fact, some books in the library that were written by hand, making him think they were one of a kind. But this type of handwriting was… odd. Each page was written differently, yet all of them shared some similarities. One page would, for example, look like someone tried to write the letters so perfectly that it was almost excessive. Another would be messy, with emphasis on some words and lines of ink on others. Were there different authors? Or one moody author with a drunkard for a muse?

Some pages also contained drawings. Each was so precise, so full of details, that it was stunning. Certainly the work of a very talented individual. However, even with his vast knowledge he could hardly understand what he was looking at most of the times. He wasn't even sure if they were related to those pages he was able to decipher. There was a portrait of a strange-looking woman in a black dress with equally black eyes, something that resembled a wasteland with floating islands and crystals, a giant door, machines with strange mechanisms, symbols, a glowing figure on a road with three question marks above its head. The list goes on.

At one point it was clear he wouldn't get anything if he just continued making theories or trying to comprehend the artist. Flipping through pages, he stopped at one where the writing was nice enough to be readable, although somewhat damaged.

* * *

 _The co-founder of O … Solutions_ _was a certain Maron B. who was later … after she was found locked in a closet. When you think of this company, you might imagine a philanthropic CEO with a staff that shares the same trait, as the public is led to believe with the so-called "humanitarian aid". But its many accountants conveniently leave out the loss of …_ _and the disappearance of … in Lien. And what to say about the man himself, … , or, as he prefers to be called, "the Hermit"?_

 _According to my source, the Hermit returned to his home at 10:30 PM, where he found … with documents that proved how all the money he invested into the company was stolen from more than two thousand bank accounts,_ _only to disappear_ _two days later._ _If the documents were to be believed, this money was used to build O… Solutions from scratch, as well as three daughter companies. This wouldn't be strange, until you find out that each company was specifically tailored to provide services for their home kingdom and never made any attempts to spread into other kingdoms, despite the economic benefits._ _Not only that, each company went into a real estate frenzy the very moment they were deemed operable and autonomous, buying specific pieces of land in each kingdom, which was kept as a secret through countless falsifications, stacks of Lien and red tape. Sounds familiar?_

 _Then, one day, each kingdom declares they are going to build an academy specialized in "training the future protectors of Remnant". Like this. Out of the blue. With what, though?_ _The war ended recently._ _No kingdom had sufficient funding for such a thing. Everyone was busy rebuilding themselves._ _You might remember that day. Here, in ... So many politicians, so many aristocrats. All making it look like it was a team effort. Bullshit. Every idiot that dug as little as I did would understand from which way the wind blows._

 _So years pass, the companies run out of money and the academies are built. Rather expensive-looking academies, considering that ... All of this is swept under the rug. New generations don't even know who the Hermit was. So why am I writing down all of this? What is the point? Here is where it gets confusing._

 _I am sure you remember how this war started. The official story is already widespread, so I am not going to bother to mention it. But I know the true reason, even if I don't have evidence for it. Remember those …? It is said that each represents a gift given to humanity by the Brothers. If someone gets all of them, they would be powerful beyond reason. I knew people who knew … Now they are either dead or laughed at. When I asked them about it, they were reluctant to say even a word. One of them told me: "Those are gifts that became curses."_ _Another claimed they touched the … and that "they knew the whole truth". You had to see the way they cried._

 _You know the kingdoms were always greedy for power._ _Try to imagine the will it took for each of them to build what they have now. The sacrifices they had to make. Why would they now give it all to someone else? In the end, what matters to someone is only themselves. It is the nature of things._ _This temporary peace_ _will only last until they all regain their strength. Then history will repeat itself, with only one difference: there is now a new player. Think about it. Why are there four academies? Why not two or five? Just four. Even the Maidens ceased to exist. Why, that sounds like a coincidence._

 _Don_ _'t ask me where they are. It is a well-guarded secret and something tells me that Ross Bramblespin is neck-deep in secrets. This much is obvious. But I can tell you this; the end of the war, the academies, Hermit's disappearance, all of it has a connection_ _I am unaware of_ _. Naturally, every piece of evidence that proves my point will be destroyed or hidden and this will be waved off as one giant conspiracy theory. You will not get any other letters from me. Please, keep this book. You know what to do. As for why I am writing all of this, it is because I want people to know the truth that is hidden in this giant pile of shit. But I fear something much worse. My nightmares are becoming worse and worse. If they come true, then the Grimm will be the least of our problems._

* * *

That felt disappointing. Sure, it was nice to know the background, providing it is even true, but nothing truly helpful for his cause. Braylon started thinking. If one of the Maidens is inside Beacon, as the voice claims, then it is only logical that other three are hidden in other academies. What better place than a school full of Huntsmen, the best warriors Remnant has to offer? Not that it mattered to him, he was going to reach the Maidens one way or another. The future of Remnant depended on it.

It was amazing how he enjoyed staying on Remnant, despite its obvious flaws. Pandora was a speck of salty dust compared to this planet. He didn't have to worry what would he eat or if bandits would try to kill him. Peace was something Remnant gave generously. There were no nightmarish cities like some planets had back in his reality, no corporations that measured how much oxygen you were allowed to breathe. Almost nothing tied him to his home, except his colleagues and even they weren't something special. They just jumped on a bandwagon and went on.

But Remnant… it was a paradise compared to anything he ever saw. Dangerous, yes, but still a paradise. Locals probably had different opinions. He didn't care. A Vault Hunter could save this reality from destruction and demonic chaos? Excellent. He was willing to fight with legs and teeth if he had to, which is why he went on Remnant's version of EchoNet. Braylon wondered if they had their own version of the dark web.

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Vulcan**

 **\- "Don't try this at home." (Different ammo gives different effects, can only be used on Remnant, doesn't do Explosive or )**

 **\- Flamethrower mode: Primary fire and Secondary fire (Primary is normal attack, Secondary is special)**

 **\- Sword mode: attacks are affected by the ammo (fire Dust will set the sword on fire and will burn deal bonus Incendiary damage)**

 **\- Fast ammo consumption (Sword mode continuously consumes ammo while active)**

 **NOTE: I am not going to describe the different effects for each Dust type because that would be lame. It will be revealed through the story.**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Pistol:** Unforgiven, Energy Pistol

 **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **Rocket Launcher:** Nukem

 **Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **Energy Weapon:** Fornax, Vulcan (Remnant Only), Excalibastard

 **Shield:** The Bee

 **Artifacts and Class Mods:** Song of Malevolence

 **HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw


	25. When The Barrel Thunders

Keeping the facade intact was of utmost importance for Braylon Monocriffe. It had to be if he wanted to prevent complications. The recent rant at Oobleck's class caused some minor problems with other students. Still, there was a way to fix it at least partially. Which is why he decided to knock on team RWBY's door two days later. He had a free morning so he figured he would try to come up with an apology for offending them, since they were neighbors. It was Ruby who opened the door, already wearing the school uniform. She seemed surprised to see him, but smiled anyways. He wondered if she was mentally present.

"Oh, hello. You needed something?"

"Who is it?!" He heard someone yelling.

"It's Braylon."

At those words, her sister Yang appeared, obviously not happy to see him talking with Ruby, arms crossed. "Why are you here?"

"Uh, hi!" He chuckled sheepishly. "I was wondering if I could talk with Ruby… in private."

"I'm sure Ruby won't mind me being here." A quick look at her told a different story. Stupid blonde and her big sister obsession.

"Alright." He nodded. "Uh, Ruby… do you remember our talk not long ago? Back at the Forge?"

"Yeah?" She looked like she forgot it already. Maybe he shouldn't bring that up. She was a child who was too busy being happy to remember someone sperging about things beyond her control.

"Well… I..." Why was it so difficult to spit out the apology? Was it because of Yang looking like she wanted to beat him up? "Can you forgive me for being so rude with you? Also, I'm sorry if I offended you and your team at Oobleck's."

She blinked. "Uh, sure… why not? Apology accepted."

Even he was surprised. "Just like that?"

"Yes?"

"Huh. Alrighty then. I'll be on my way..."

"Wait!" Yang stopped him. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Whom?"

"The rest of us?"

"Oh, sure… hey!" She grabbed him by the hand and brought him into their room. The white-haired girl was staring at the mirror. When she saw Braylon, she frowned slightly. The Faunus was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Braylon wondered how could four girls turn a room into a pigsty of colors and makeshift bunk beds.

"Weiss. Our neighbor has something to say. I think we should hear him."

Before we move on, we need to understand that Braylon was a confident individual. He was able to talk to crowds of millions if he needed. Even then, he was a teenager. And like all teenagers, he had hormones raging through his body, although somewhat controlled with the PDA. He could talk to a crowd, yes, but for some reason he found it hard to talk with these four girls who happened to be his age, minus Ruby. All those strangely-colored eyes made him feel uneasy, especially when they belonged to members of team RWBY.

His apology received mixed answers. Yang accepted, probably because of Ruby. Weiss acted like a snotty brat, though she probably accepted too. He wondered what she thought about, seeing her staring at the mirror. If she was angry, she hid it really well.

By no means, this was the end of his troubles. Ruby wanted him to repeat the same comedy with JNPR. He was a bit frustrated, but decided to hide it. Anything to make it look like he was genuinely sad that he hurt their feelings. But even Braylon knew that anyone could see through his thinly disguised lie if they were more careful. When he was done with that task, he decided to leave Beacon. To his chagrin, he discovered that the Bullhead to the city was guarded with robots and security cameras, as were the halls of Beacon, probably to find the killer if they were still in the academy. Another cursed problem he had to solve.

* * *

Turns out Remnant did have a dark web of its own. As expected, it was crawling with illegal activities. A forum Braylon stumbled upon, after tedious surfing, turned out to be a blessing. Posting anonymously as a mercenary for hire, he asked if other members of the community had any kind of architectural knowledge regarding Beacon, hidden to the public eye. Many dismissed him as a troll or as a genuinely insane individual. Many, except for one, who requested a talk with him in a private chatroom, claiming to be a member of a mafia organization in Vacuo.

Mafia. That word left a bitter taste in his mouth. Nothing more than organized bandits, but dangerous nonetheless. Braylon said he was unable to travel to Vacuo and the two politely parted ways, mostly because they were anonymous so neither side knew the other. Even if short, the talk with a mafioso gave Braylon an idea. He returned to the forum and asked if someone knew anyone in Vale who sold information for reasonable prices. Someone who knew a bit too much for his own good. The answer led him to a club in downtown Vale.

(Party Hard – Main Theme)

" _This place is a shitter… Is that pedobear_ _up there? Nevermind._ "

The club left much to be desired, as expected from a covert operation. It was mostly dark and deserted, with the dance floor shining thanks to dozens of spinning reflectors and four glowing pillars. Two women approached him. One was wearing red, the other white. They were trying to talk with Braylon, who declined.

"Sorry. Not interested in damaged goods."

It was inappropriate,yes, but there was no time to waste. The women, most likely twins, walked away angrily, allowing him to reach the counter. Behind it stood a man with short black hair, wearing clothes that only a respectable pillar of society would. Ironic, when he and everyone else working in the club were anything but.

"Aren't you a little… gods, I'm repeating myself." The man murmured. "What can I do for you?"

"Looking for a man named Hei Xiong, also known as Junior."

"Who is asking?"

"Someone who is willing to know stuff only he knows."

"I see. Who sent you?" He nodded to someone behind him.

"I am a freelance mercenary."

The man chuckled. "Sure you are."

"Will you tell me where Junior is or do I have to blow this place up?" Braylon raised his head slightly, sighed then lazily turned around. He was surrounded with the staff, all dressed equally. "I knew it would come to this." Braylon said, mostly to himself. " _At least I'm going to relieve_ _some of_ _this anger._ "

"I don't know whose dog you are, but I definitely know you ain't Torchwick's. You won't get a word from me!"

"I'll talk with you later, dumbass. We could've talk peacefully, you know? I guess I don't have a choice now, do I?"

He chuckled. "That's right. You don't."

" _Idiot._ "

* * *

(Dead Rising 3 – Darlene)

His first opponent lunged at him with a bottle. Braylon punched him, grabbed the bottle and kicked the man away. He broke the bottle on the next staff member and gave him an uppercut that dislocated his jaw. A third tried to punch him, but got a punch to the stomach instead, grabbed by the suit, lifted up and thrown at the crowd.

" _I mustn't kill. It will only complicate things._ "

Braylon grabbed a crowbar from an unsuspecting man and hit another's head like a golf ball, then smacked the owner in the stomach, making him bend slightly. Five hits to the head with the crowbar, followed by a sixth that broke it, was enough to be sure that he wouldn't wake up so soon.

"What are you doing, morons?! Get that little prick now!"

A faceless coward screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran towards Braylon, behind him. Braylon spun around and grabbed the charging fool, redirecting his attack to another man who tried to hit Braylon with a wrench. The two crashed into each other and fell down. One of many punching bags with legs decided to get serious, so he pushed away everyone around him and began swinging with his nunchuks. He could feel despair coming from the man behind the counter.

"Just hit him already."

Braylon waited for the man to get close, dodged a swipe and punched the man with a right hook. His cheek caved in as teeth fell everywhere. The nunchuks were used to knock-out three more people. Many not-so-brave souls began to flee, realizing they had no possibilities against a Vault Hunter.

A bottle suddenly broke on his head. Braylon, unfazed, slowly turned around. There was a man a bit taller than him, face pale and mouth open, as if he saw a ghost.

"You just wasted… mmm, you wasted some fine whiskey. That was very rude of you, sir. Do you regret your action?"

He nodded.

"Good." A punch to the face sent the man flying several meters away. "Asshole."

Braylon's hammer-like fists squished the head of a yet another mook, before holding it still for his knee, which pulverized the nose and broke the jaw. None of the staff members could withstand the punishment he delivered. They were too soft for his fists and legs. And he felt the need to hurt them even more, with anger growing like fire in a furnace. The floor was littered with men in need of medical attention. A simple haymaker almost tore away jaws. A kick to the chest broke ribs.

After elbow dropping one and brogue kicking another, the Vault Hunter was finally able to feel the rage that consumed him and almost drove him to kill few of them. He clotheslined the last man standing before sitting on top of him. Braylon began punching the man's face. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Each hit further disfigured the face below. It took a will of iron to stop. That, and dried blood on his hands.

"Ladies! After him!"

We will never know if Braylon realized he was breathing through clenched teeth or if he was even aware of the look on his face. We can tell with absolute certainty, however, that the twin sisters refused to budge from their seats. The man, now alone against someone who defeated every opponent, seethed in rage as Braylon walked towards him.

"You are going to talk now. And you will do it without objections." He laughed when the man pulled out a gun. "Did anyone tell you that there are a lot of ways to make a person sing?" He cracked his knuckles. "A lot."

* * *

The Sanus Association was a criminal organization that dated back to the war between kingdoms. Its founder, Azwalt Linguini was a man who accumulated power and wealth thanks to various smuggling operations. Eventually the Association built a brand new face, that of a yet another club for those too rich to care about common man, but its modus operandi remained the same. Money extortion and trafficking Dust was routine. All of this information was gathered with a quick search of the dark web through the PDA, after that man was kind enough to give him directions.

To make things more interesting, in order to reach the headquarters of Sanus Association, a building known simply as "the Palace", one must go to a district specifically designed for the upper-class citizens. Braylon was able to see the marvels of Vale through the taxicab's window; the best of what the kingdom had to offer in terms of art, architecture and technology. Naturally, the almighty Dollar, or in this case, the almighty Lien, displayed its true power all around him. He wondered how the Palace would look like. Just one square meter was more worth than ten lives. Then again, he reminded himself that the Association was just a fancy name to describe what it truly was; mafia.

Mafia. Gone were the days when they had a codex, where they refused to kill women and children or any civilians not involved in their affairs. When someone said "mafioso", one could immediately imagine a man in one of the newest suits on the market, brewing alcohol just to spite the big brother that was the government. That was then. Times are changing and change isn't necessarily good.

But he wasn't scared, no sir. He proved that immediately after he got out of the car. Whistling, he allowed himself to take in the beauty that was the Palace. It was like looking at the child of the White House coupled with Château d'Ételan, only smaller. A blatant display that told him: "I am the man in this house. I rule this kingdom. I swim in money." He approached the intercom and pushed the red button. A voice of an old man was heard, with a swift yet professional: "Palace of the Sanus Association, how may I help you?"

"Is this Carnel Linguini I'm speaking with?" He tried to hide the anger present in his voice, but it came out somewhat cringeworthy. He was wrong. The anger didn't go away as he hoped. "I'm here to promote my… "product"."

"No, this is his personal butler. I sincerely apologize, but Mister Linguini is unavailable today. Come back tomorrow."

"No, you don't understand. I need to see Mister Linguini now."

"Sir, I wish to help you, but he is too busy today. I-"

"God damn it, old man." Braylon exploded. "Are you letting me in or do I have to do it myself? 'Cause I'm warning you, if I have to make my way to the president of the Sanus Association, you will see things you wish you can forget. There would be blood. There would be corpses. God only knows how many would die because you decided to fuck it all up! And nothing, absolutely nothing, could stop me. Am. I. Clear?!"

The silence that followed made Braylon regret his emotional response. He waited two long minutes before another man's voice could be heard. It was deep, with a thick accent. This one belonged to a senior too.

"I am Carnel Linguini, president of the Sanus Association. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"Hi there. I am here to offer a favor for a favor. You can call me… Quartz."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Little old me just happens to know what's happening under the table. But fear not, I'm not here to do anything that might hurt your business. Quite the opposite, in fact. Can we talk in private?"

* * *

"Come in."

Braylon opened a door that led to a small office. There was a man that sat on a chair behind a desk, smoking a pipe. Two people sat on a couch to his left while one sat on a sofa. All of them wore expensive-looking suits, indicating they were the top of the hierarchy. The pictures of their faces were spread all over the dark web. Carnel Linguini, the man sitting on the chair, was the president. The other three were his lieutenants: Jasper Andymon, Brans Tarkvinus and Tommie Doblot.

"You got some balls like boulders, threatening us like that." Brans, the man on the sofa, complained. "Tell me why you shouldn't end up in a body bag, right the fuck now."

"Calm down Brans." Jasper the four-eyes scolded. "I want to know why is this kid here."

"Please, take a seat." Carnel motioned to a sofa near a bookshelf. "So you are Quartz."

"Correct."

"And why are you so important that I should listen to what you have to say?"

"It's really simple. I am a mercenary..." He heard a scoff from Brans. "...who lacks information necessary to complete a job. I'm willing to… do you a favor, in return for that information."

That got Carnel's attention. He was about to say something when one of the lieutenants, Jasper, decided to ask: "Mercenary? You don't look like one."

"Never judge a book by its cover, mister Jasper."

"True, true."

"What makes you think I have what you need?" Carnel finally asked.

"You are mafia, mister Linguini. Sanus Association would never last this long without a reliable network."

"You cocky little..."

"Brans. He has a point. Good thinking you've got there."

"What do you need?" Jasper wondered.

"I need to have some drawings of Beacon Academy?"

"I'm sorry."

"Some… blueprints, technical drawings, anything that would tell me what is actually Beacon Academy. Every nook and cranny, every secret passage, the materials used. Everything."

The lieutenants looked at each other. Braylon didn't like that.

"...I'm interested." Carnel finally said. "But… I need to know what my lieutenants think, need to think this through. Can you leave us alone for a few minutes?"

"Sure."

"Perfect. My butler will lead you to our guest room, Make yourself at home."

"Much obliged." Braylon waited half an hour before he returned to the office. It was apparent that they had reached a consensus. "What is the answer then? Do we have a deal?"

"I accept your offer, on one condition." Carnel raised a finger. "You will do your side of the deal, then you will know everything you need. Take it or leave it."

" _Smart move._ You got yourself a deal, Mister Linguini."

"Splendid. My lieutenants here will describe your job."

Jasper adjusted his glasses before talking. "There is a mansion owned by a Mistral mafia called the Mahibara Clan, not far from here. Your first task is to find a man named He Jin Chiong. Convince him to leave this kingdom. Feel free to use any methods you prefer. Kill anyone who would oppose you."

" _First? Wait..._ "

After him, Brans began: "Those White Fang fucks are becoming a problem with their Dust obsession. Little birdie told me they will have a reunion or some shit at the port tonight. Something big apparently. Go and ruin their party."

"The third and final task." Braylon's fists began to tremble. "There is a group of bandits in the Residential District that cause troubles in our territory. They have many hideouts, so they like to switch places often, which makes it hard for us to find them. However, we know one of their hideouts and that they will go there tomorrow. You will need to kill them all. No exceptions. No mercy."

"Is this all?"

"Yes." Carnel nodded. "Any questions?"

"Just one. How can I know that you will keep your word."

"I always keep my word."

" _Sure you do._ Alright. I'll better get started then. _I already know the end of this story. Fuck my life._ "

"And Quartz? It was pleasure doing business with you."

He felt the need to kill something.

* * *

A black car waited for him outside the Palace. He was meant to observe Braylon and report every detail back to Linguini. The driver was chatty and it impressed Braylon how he considered him an equal, despite the age gap. His replies were short, for he was concentrated on the task ahead. The Sanus Association wanted him to go on a rampage. That was the brutal truth. It was the only way to remove competition and he was a scapegoat. Even the entity mocked him for it.

" _Now you decide to speak your mind? Where were you all this time?_ "

" _I am very busy lately. There are things that needed my attention._ "

" _Shame. I liked silence more._ "

" _I will stop bothering you after you do what I ordered you to do, slave._ "

" _Working on it._ "

" _You better do._ "

"See?" The driver pointed to his right. "That's the mansion."

A fusion of Chinese and Japanese architecture was the last thing Braylon expected the mansion to be. Truth to be told, it was more of a castle than anything else, for the whole building was walled off. He couldn't see much, but the presence of trees made him think that there was a garden between the mansion and the wall. The size of it all was intimidating, yet stupid. Braylon couldn't understand why would a person, in a modern society, need such a giant structure all for himself. He had a feeling he would understand very soon.

"Leave me here." The car stopped behind a corner, near a road that led to the main gate. "What's the plan?" The driver asked, confused as to why would Braylon want to stop right there. "I'm going through the gate." Driver's eyes became saucers. "Today's a bad day."

"You want a frontal assault?! That's insane!"

"I'll be back soon." Braylon closed the door and went around the corner. He could see the main gate down the road, guarded by two men who seemingly ignored his presence.

" _I always wondered why such things happen to me._ "

" _You want to know why?_ " Braylon materialized Nukem. " _Because you bring death with you everywhere you go. If these mortals hadn't learn this precious lesson, they soon will._ "

(Yoshida Brothers – Mirage)

One shot was all it needed to bring down the gate in a glorious explosion that probably woke up half of Vale. There was a tiny black crater where the gate used to be, with the guards turned to ash.

" _One question, mortal._ "

" _Ugh, what now?!_ " Braylon thought as he ran forward.

" _What do you think will the person you are looking for do, now that you warned him of your presence?_ "

" _He Jin Chiong? He will… oh fuck… he will run!_ "

" _Nice job, brainlet._ "

"Aargh! Shut the fuck up!" He exploded. "I can't take this shit anymore! Fuck!" A group of guards appeared from behind the walls, all shocked at the sight in front of them. Braylon killed them all with Ajax's Spear, screaming furiously. "Fuck you all, pajamas-wearing faggots! Move! I have a person's ass to kick!"

"Stop right there-Argh!"

One person guarding the door pointed their gun at him. Braylon dematerialized the rifle in his hands and just kicked the person so hard it smashed against the door, bringing it down. Later he blew their brains out with Striker. He killed two more as he ran. A door opened to his right. A man came out with his hands in the air.

"Please! Don't kill me!"

"Where is He Jin Chiong?!"

"I-I don't know! Probably at his private dojo! Upstairs! Top floor!"

Their conversation was interrupted when a man came from behind a corner and fired with his pistol, hitting Braylon in the shoulder. Braylon grumbled, but he was still able to use Striker, so he blew the man's intestines out with a shot. He made two steps back before his head was cracked open with a second shot. Swapping Striker for Unforgiven and Holo Sabre, Braylon killed three more guards as he ran towards a stairway, made of wood like the floor. There was a bald man with a black belt and white clothes guarding the door behind him, without any weapon in his hands. Braylon shot two bullets but he swatted them away like flies. He was not like the others.

"Oh really?" Braylon materialized Excalibastard. "Try this with a laser."

His Cryo laser weapon proved to be useful when it hit the man in his chest. It didn't freeze him, but he was clearly hurt by the shot. He was also distracted enough for Braylon to come and roundhouse kick him through the door, depleting his Aura.

The Vault Hunter turned left and went through the other available door. He was now in a stereotypical dojo with ten more people. Many had either katanas and sickles. Only two had guns. He killed them both before focusing on the remaining obstacles, switching Excalibastard for Orphan Maker and Holo Ripper.

"Outta my way plebs!" He spat. "I got shit to do!"

They refused to listen. Two men with katanas charged forward. He waited for the first to come close enough, dodged the attack, showed the barrels into the man's back and pulled the trigger, decorating the walls with gore. The other died when Braylon cut his right hip open, spraying blood all over the floor. And while the remaining six watched in horror at the nonchalant disposal of their comrades by the hands of a stranger, Braylon materialized Vulcan, loaded lightning Dust into his newest weapon, crouched and pulled one of the two available triggers.

"Say 'cheese', motherfuckers!" The Vulcan whimpered loudly before unleashing a thunderstorm on the unwilling test subjects. Whole dojo lit up in a bright yellow color as his enemies were shaking, with some heads exploding, as if they had seizures, all of their organs fried and destroyed. "Damn. Hopefully they have a second amendment in here." Braylon ran out through one of many doors, all leading to the same hallway. There, he killed a guard by beating it to death with a vase, before coming to a roadblock in the form of piled furniture, with two men behind it.

" _Idea._ "

Braylon decided to load Vulcan with wind Dust fuel. When he pulled the primary trigger, Vulcan released what can best be described as a baby typhoon that threw the furniture, along with those behind it, to the wall at the end of the hallway. Said wall crumbled moments later and everything fell outside the mansion.

"Sorry." He laughed while turning right. Dematerializing Vulcan, Braylon went upstairs. His Striker returned, killing a guard in an alcove near a door, before killing another one that opened it. Braylon changed Striker for Ajax's Spear and mowed down several people in the room to his right, divided by a glass wall. Few bullets also hit an aquarium in that room, which exploded, releasing fish and water. Barging into the room on the left, a small office, he killed two more people. The door on the right suddenly opened and a screaming man grabbed Braylon in a bear hug. He kneed the man between his legs, before throwing him through the window.

Going through the other room, a tiny library, Braylon shot a man through a bookshelf, who tried to ambush him. As papers and damaged books fell everywhere, the Vault Hunter spotted another person hiding there, so he shot them too before returning to the hallway and reaching the final stairway, the one that led to the top floor.

One entire floor. That was Chiong's private dojo. Well, more a temple than an actual dojo. There was a dragon statue made entirely out of jade to the left corner of the dojo, used as a fountain. Several expensive-looking carpets were attached to the right wall, depicting a city built on a mountain or excerpts from legends and myths. The floor was made of mahogany planks, a drastic change from the floors below. He Jin Chiong sat on the other end of the room, legs crossed and back turned. His hair was blonde and tied to a bun. Chiong wore a blue garment that Braylon didn't know whether it was a kimono or something else.

"The intruder has finally come." He said. "I can only imagine what does he want from me."

"Mister Linguini sends his regards, asshole. This kingdom ain't big enough for both. You have to go back."

He sighed and shook his head. "Yes, the lust for power is a vice of many. But..." Chiong stood up, cracking his neck. "I'm afraid it's not possible for me to run away. This is the territory of Mahibara Clan and I am not giving it away."

"So I have to kick your teeth out to convince you?"

"Your bravery amuses me, intruder. Those silver eyes of yours have a rather unusual spark in them. A spark that shouldn't be possible at your age. Here is my offer. Fight me in a duel. If I loose, I will go away from Vale and never come back. You have my word." Chiong picked up two sabres and swung them around, striking a dramatic pose. "So what shall it be? What is your answer?"

Braylon deadpanned for a few moments before materializing Nukem and firing a rocket at Chiong, The ground shook as a massive explosion tore a hole in the dojo, destroying everything valuable.

"That hit the spot."

He was about to turn around when he noticed a purplish glow in the smoke that slowly faded away. Chiong survived. He was bruised, his sabres destroyed and his clothes torn to shreds. But he survived. Braylon frowned.

"You have Aura."

"Yes, I do." Chiong could barely stand on his legs. "That was… unpleasant."

"Heh. Wait until you see what I have in store for you."

(Yakuza – End of The Drama)

Chiong smiled, throwing his useless weapons away. "Show me."

Braylon cracked his knuckles, materialized Holo Sabre and charged at Chiong, who dodged two swipes and ducked under a stab. He replied with two punches at Braylon's stomach followed by a leg kick that threw him on the ground.

"So much wasted energy. You have potential, yet you lack skill."

" _I'll show you skill._ "

He jumped to his feet and faux-attacked with Holo Sabre. Chiong fell for the trick, so Braylon was able to headbutt him with enough strength to drop him on the floor. Grabbing one leg, the Vault Hunter lifted his opponent only to bring him down on the other side, before throwing him at the fountain. However, Chiong backflipped mid-air, landing on the statue. He used it to propel himself forward. Braylon dodged, grabbed the Energy Pistol and fired two shots. Chiong hissed in pain but refused to fall. When he was about to shoot for the third time, he kicked the Pistol away.

"No guns."

"Says the guy who tried to use two swords." Both sides exchanged punches and kicks. Chiong was faster, so he was able to hit Braylon several times. "You fight quite good with that wounded shoulder."

"Job requirement." He replied as he tried, and failed, to uppercut Chiong, who replied with a failed karate chop. "And what job is that?"

"One where Aura and Semblance aren't abused."

"Is it my fault if I get with the times?"

"When you are a mafioso, sure."

"Mafioso?"

Chiong lowered his guard for a moment. Enough for Braylon to take notice and react. First thing he did was to punch He Jin in the stomach as hard as he could. After a hook, he delivered an uppercut strong enough to throw his opponent on the ground. Unforgiven depleted the last Aura reserves with two shots.

"There. Now get the fuck out of here."

"Wait!" Chiong pleaded as Braylon turned around to leave. The loss of Aura his him hard. "The Mahibara Clan had a disgraceful past, yes… but we are not mafia." He coughed. "That man who, I guess, hired you. He is using you like a toy for his needs."

"I knew that already."

"Then why? Why are you doing this? Why did you ruin the peace this mansion had?"

"None of your concern."

"But it is." He stood up. "You are wasting your talent like that. Your movements were synthetic. No cohesion. No strategy. It was like fighting a training dummy. And without Aura?"

"Well, I suggest you file a complaint to the "I don't give a fuck" department. Goodbye."

Leaving behind the man he came for, our Vault Hunter returned to the car. Before the driver could bombard him with commentary on his work, Braylon called Linguini to report his success.

"Excellent work, Quartz. Truly excellent."

"Thought I wouldn't make it?"

"To be honest, I did. It is impressive that you managed to carve a hole in those defenses."

"I'm sure the fact that I need something in return has nothing to do with it."

"Now prepare yourself for the second task, tonight. Make sure you have everything you need. This one is far more important. I cannot express how important this is."

"Right."

"Those White Fang are becoming braver by the day. We need to show them their place."

Braylon frowned. He didn't want problems with a bunch of terrorists. He heard about the White Fang, a Faunus-only group that created problems in every kingdom. Robbing trains full of Dust or terrorizing civilians wasn't exactly an excellent way of achieving respect they wanted so much. Hopefully this task will be the only time they ever meet, though he was sure they wouldn't forget his face after his little visit.

* * *

 **Do you like the little display of Vulcan's power? This is what I meant when I wrote that different Dust would have different effects. I decided to turn it from a flamethrower to a Dustthrower, because the "differently-colored fire with different effects" made little sense. That and I made it more common, not Braylon-only.**

 **One thing I seriously need to mention. This is important. Until the end of this month, I will probably release two more chapters. From October onward, I am not sure I will be able to do that anymore. At best, you can hope for one chapter per month but even that** **is a stretch, since I will be very busy. But I won't drop the story no matter what.** **Remember, you can help by leaving a comment. It certainly helps me when I'm writing.**


	26. Painful Choice

Blake Belladonna was a Faunus. She was the kind of Faunus that fought for the rights of those like her. For Blake, a Faunus wasn't a lesser being, as many humans liked to think. A Faunus was someone with emotions, with the ability to think, to learn, just like a human. Like many of her kind, she was tired to be treated like dirt without reason other than hate or spite, so she joined the White Fang, an organization dedicated to Faunus rights. She took part in every rally, she contributed as much as she could. Everything would be fine, wrongs would be righted and Faunus would finally be accepted.

Yeah right.

It all crumbled once White Fang realized the uselessness of peaceful protests. Only violence could achieve the collective Faunus dream. When it became too much for Blake, she left. She explained that to Sun, another Faunus she met. Unlike her, Sun was never part of the White Fang. He was also willing to hear her side of the story, which surprised Blake. Maybe she was just too pessimistic about him. Moments after she explained everything, Sun, against all reason, decided to help her out.

Why would he do that? Was there a deeper reason, other than "to help" as he claimed? Blake refused to involve others into her problems, especially someone like Sun. Her team already had enough problems just because she was a member. Sun refused to listen, insisting that "one should always involve friends". She wondered how long would it take for him to get hurt or, worse, to hate her like… like Weiss.

"Did I miss anything?"

Sun's question startled her slightly. It was a reminder that she had to focus on the present.

"Not Really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Cool. I stole you some food."

Blake was a loner. The type of loner that tried to understand how different people behave, how they think, how they feel. What she couldn't understand was Sun's nonchalant behavior regarding the stolen apples. Not only he stole them and bragged about it, he even offered some to her. She had to ask.

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?"

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?"

That stung.

"Okay, too soon."

Their conversation ended when they heard engines of a Bullhead above them. It took a few moments to land, right near a warehouse and some shipping containers from Schnee Dust Company.

"Oh no."

"Is that them?"

"Yes. It's them."

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?"

"No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right."

She closed her eyes. It was hard, seeing the White Fang reaching new lows. What hurt her more than White Fang's acceptance of violence as a way to solve their problems was hearing the voice of Roman Torchwick.

"Hey! What's the hold up?!"

Roman's presence set off all of her warning bells. There was no logical explanation for him to be present at a White Fang operation.

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially not one like that."

She had to act. Observing quietly was no longer an option, not until she heard answers to her questions. Drawing her weapon, Blake stood up, despite Sun's concerns.

A gunshot.

Another gunshot.

Blake gasped slightly when she heard it. She was no expert on firearms, but she was sure that no gun could be that loud. It reminded her of many situations in her books where the author would describe a shot, sometimes so precisely she could imagine the whole scene. Even the White Fang below was startled by the sudden noise.

More gunshots. One following another. An automatic weapon. The screams of pain were almost choked by the macabre symphony of death. Someone was slaughtering the White Fang!

After she jumped down, Blake hid behind a container and peeked around the corner. There was Roman with few Faunus, shouting orders.

"Go! I wanna know what's this ruckus about!" He yelled while the sound became louder and louder. "Now!"

Catching the perfect opportunity, Blake snuck up on Roman and immediately placed her Gambol Shroud near his throat. With a "nobody move!" she caught the attention of the nearest White Fang members, who pointed their guns at her. Some repeatedly turned their heads as if expecting a Grimm to be behind them. The gunshots stopped and her heart sank. She knew what that meant.

"Finally!" Roman barked. "For a second I thought I would go insane. What do you think, little lady?"

She removed her bow. For some reason, she thought they would hear her out if she revealed her cat ears. Only few relaxed and lowered their guns. Others were scared beyond belief, so they spun around and took aim at nothing.

"Brothers of the White Fang. Why are you aiding this scum?"

"I'm selling lead by the kilos, nowadays!" Few more gunshots. "Don't crowd, there's plenty for everyone!"

" _Braylon?!_ "

The new voice distracted her and Roman knew that. Which was why he pointed the barrel of his cane at her feet and pulled the trigger.

* * *

Things were going smoothly, without any big problems. He was forced to take a long walk towards the meeting site, because the driver refused to go too close. This task was even more important than the first. Braylon didn't understand how could a terrorist group be a bigger threat than the Mahibara Clan. Carnel pestered him with his speech about the importance of interrupting whatever the White Fang had in mind. He would dismiss the man if his hand wasn't forced that much.

The rampage took some mental preparations before it started. He had to repeatedly tell himself that they were nothing but terrorists, to prevent any feelings of guilt that might pop up. Not that he had any, not anymore. Still, one shouldn't cure what they are able to prevent.

It became painfully obvious he was dealing with amateurs the moment he snapped the neck of the first White Fang he encountered. These weren't recruits, these were ordinary people LARPing as recruits. They could be that friendly man behind the counter of your favorite shop or the nice neighbor that always treats you with respect. But they were no terrorists. What were they doing in the White Fang? Were they really so dumb to sacrifice their lives for something they would never receive? The voice told him everything about the Faunus' origins and end, in detail, just to make him feel miserable every time he killed one. It was hard being a Faunus indeed, especially when they never thought of themselves as the closest thing to organic robots any civilization could ever hope to create.

Braylon kept going towards the area where the White Fang was supposed to have an important meeting. After he killed the third Faunus on his path, he stumbled upon two Faunus near some containers. Carefully avoiding to hide his presence, Braylon materialized Holo Sabre, jumped down and stabbed one of them, before jumping at the other, aiming at the heart. He heard something drop on his left. It was a third Faunus, a boy with scaly skin, shocked by the tragedy that unfolded before him. He dropped the gun he was holding, spun around and started running, screaming in horror as he did so.

Unforgiven was out of the holster immediately. This was the end of his stealth approach. If he let the Faunus live, he would warn others. Same thing if he fired. Going with the logic that one less Faunus would be less trouble, he shot his target in the back who fell instantly. Braylon sighed as he walked towards the fallen White Fang, now wet with his own blood.

"Hey, what's..."

Another White Fang member walked into his view from behind the nearest container. He received a bullet between his eyes. Soon enough, many would come to his position, now aware that there is an intruder. Holstering Unforgiven, Braylon materialized Ajax's Spear and prepared for the worst. The first group appeared five minutes later. Four terrorists. Each with something resembling an assault rifle. He was faster.

Atlas Corporation proved once again the quality of its weapons. Each bullet fired from the Ajax's Spear pierced through any protection those Faunus had under their clothes. When the bullet dug itself into the body, it would trigger an explosion that would cause even more damage. In many situations, this would result in limbs torn away from the body or destruction of internal organs that was impossible to survive. Now the White Fang experienced it firsthand, through hot lead and the infernal melody of his weapon.

"I'm selling lead by the kilos nowadays!" He shot two of them who tried to run away. "Don't crowd, there's plenty for everyone!"

A loud explosion to the right, behind a pile of containers, caught his attention. More explosions could be heard as he turned around the corner, only to see…

"Roman Torchwick?"

Roman turned around.

"Do I know you?"

"Do you need to?"

"Smart remark, no doubt." He replied. "...Wait a minute… weren't you that kid with the robot?"

The sound of more Bullhead engines in the sky distracted Braylon. Realizing his mistake, he quickly turned his eyes back to Roman, only to see red projectile flying at him.

And he had no Shield.

Out of sheer instinct, Braylon jumped sideways, failing to see someone landing where he stood, swinging with his strange weapon and destroying the projectile. Melee weapons clashed somewhere nearby as he stood up.

" _Blake? The fuck is she doing here?!_ "

The Bullheads above released more White Fang into the fray, some of whom went for a blond monkey Faunus. Everyone else went for Braylon. Every now and then Braylon would glance in the monkey Faunus' way. Rather than killing his enemies, he simply knocked them away or beat them with his giant stick.

What was he supposed to do? Should he follow suit? But he already killed some White Fang terrorists. His pessimistic side told him he wouldn't untangle the proverbial Gordian Knot so easily. His choices were irrelevant. Blake, and possibly others, would find the bodies, put two and two together and find out he was the murderer. As he cut through Faunus with his Holo Sabre, shooting every third with Unforgiven, Braylon thought about a solution.

The Faunus in black and her blond friend were busy with Roman, who proved to be more competent than your average bandit. Though how he used that cane of his was beyond ridiculous to the Vault Hunter. Killing the last terrorist, Braylon decided to help the duo against their common enemy. There was a task to finish, after all. Before he could do anything, however, another voice stopped them all.

And there was Ruby with her scythe.

What. The. Hell.

Braylon started thinking this was a set-up. There was no other way he could describe the situation. How else he could explain the convenient timing? Roman's appearance and everything else?

"Seriously now." Roman complained. "Isn't it past your bedtimes? This is getting tiresome. Ow!"

Braylon's Energy Pistol hit Roman in the shoulder.

"We're gonna have a little talk, bandit. You want the easy way or the hard way?"

He turned around, still holding his shoulder.

"How about the third option?"

Several bullets zipped near Braylon's head, making him jump away and run for the nearest cover. Even more Bullheads showed up, equipped with Gatling-like weapons, spending ammunition without a second thought. Braylon materialized Excalibastard and hit an engine of a Bullhead, making it crash into a warehouse. A green laser cut the remaining vehicles in half, finishing the job. Braylon wondered from where that laser came from, only to see a girl with many swords flying in front of her.

" _Now who is that?!_ " Incidentally, he noticed Roman flying away on the last Bullhead present. He managed to freeze one of the engines before it could escape. With a bit of luck, it would crush somewhere in Vale.

"Braylon!"

Ruby saw the Vault Hunter, clothes stained with blood that wasn't his. Not far away lay the proof of his massacre. It hit her so hard that she became nauseous. And while Blake stared in horror, along with the monkey Faunus, the ginger girl acted like she was clueless.

"Oh no! What happened?" She said.

* * *

Despite the arrival of policemen, there was silence between the group of teenagers. This silence spoke more than any conversation. Ruby was on the verge of crying, her new friend called Penny being her consolation. Blake refused to talk, even to the monkey Faunus, whose name is Sun. Braylon sat with them, as they all refused to let him go.

"How could you?" Blake whispered. "How could you do this to them?"

"They were terrorists." He argued.

"They were people with families and lives! Who are you to judge who lives and who dies?!"

By then it became clear to Braylon that Blake had some connections with the White Fang. No matter how much he argued about his being an act of "self-defense", she would refuse to listen to reason. In reality, he could not care less about killing soulless robots.

"Was I supposed to let them kill me?"

"You are a Huntsman! They were normal people!"

"They were terrorists willing to do horrible things without a second thought. What would happen if there were civilians, huh? Face it, Blake. They were dangerous Ferals. Nothing more."

She looked him in the eyes with that icy rage of hers, suddenly stood up and slapped him. "You ignorant bigot! Are you even aware of the atrocity you comitted?! People like you, like Cardin, are the reason why White Fang uses violence!"

Comparing him to Cardin, a bully, was the last straw. A very big mistake. Her friend Sun stopped her before she could continue.

"You know why Humanity hates Faunus, Blake?" Braylon began slowly. "The reason is perfectly logical. Humanity hates Faunus because they are a competitor for the limited resources found on Remnant." So she saw him as a bully? Then he would treat her as such. The anger he felt did not help calming the situation. "Remember what I told you back at Beacon? If Faunus want rights, they have to earn it."

"Why? What we did to you to deserve such treatment?"

"Because you are fucking animals, Belladona!" His voice startled Ruby and few policemen. "You act like an animal, you have traits of an animal and everything about you screams animal! Faunus don't even have souls! They are just a cheap Human knock offs whose entire reason for existing is to screw with Humanity and its progress or some shit like that! You will never achieve equality because you don't deserve it!"

Words hurt far more than weapons. They don't attack the body, but the emotions of an individual. If one knows how to use their words, they can be the worst killers in history. In this situation, Blake was visibly shocked by Braylon and his verbal assault. Her expression turned to anger, with tears brimming in her eyes. Not even Sun was hurt that much as Blake, who turned around and tried to walk away, stopped only by Weiss and Yang who came in their direction. Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing, expressed on her face. Penny, on the other hand, frowned slightly.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say."

Braylon started thinking she had autism.

Blake and Weiss exchanged many words while Yang tried to find out what was happening with her sister. From what Braylon understood, Weiss and Blake had opposing views on White Fang and Faunus in general. Somehow, Weiss knew Blake was a member of the White Fang and yet she decided she couldn't care less. Then there was some ridiculous encouragement from Weiss to Blake about the need to rely on her team and other sugary stuff. Meanwhile, Yang heard the whole story from both Penny and a very depressed Ruby. Her eyes turned red the moment she understood who was responsible.

" _This is marvelous._ " The voice laughed.

It made Braylon even more angry.

" _All of this wasn't supposed to happen. What was Blake and the missing link_ _doing here? Couldn't they pick another time?_ " He felt hands grabbing him and lifting him up in the air, much to his chagrin. " _Oh, it's blondie._ "

"You monster!" She said through clenched teeth, ignoring Ruby's pleas.

"Not you too..." Braylon rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Was there a point in killing them?"

"What would you do?"

"Knock them out, Braylon! Not killing them like… like..."

"Animals?"

Her grip tightened.

"Man, for being a Huntress, you sure do lack common sense."

"Shut up!"

"...or what?"

"Yang!" She turned her head to Ruby, who shook her head. A hand on her shoulder calmed her anger. "He's not worth it." Blake said.

"Yes, listen to your teammate and let me go, blondie. Before I make you."

She gave him one last glance before dropping him on the ground.

"We should report this to the Headmaster." Weiss said. "He will know what to do."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He interrupted. "Unless you want everyone to know there's an ex-terrorist inside Beacon, studying to be a Huntress. Not just the headmaster. I mean the whole city."

Everyone present was shocked by his threat.

"You wouldn't dare-"

"But I would, Weiss. I'm sure you, as a heiress, know how such an affair can get public attention thanks to journalists. Especially when said ex-terrorist is friends with a Schnee." The look on her face was priceless to Braylon. "If you force my hand, I will do it. So here is my proposal. You keep quiet about this fiasco and I won't cause a chain of events that would end badly for everyone."

"But… why?" Ruby sniffled. Braylon actually felt sorry for her.

"You think I enjoy doing this? I'm not a psychopath that goes around killing people just for fun. What I'm doing here is necessary..."

"Necessary?" Blake mocked. "For what?"

"For the bigger picture. This is not about the White Fang anymore. It goes beyond. Way beyond."

"What are you even talking about?"

"For now I'm an errand boy for someone I can't name. This person has something I need. Something that can decide the future of Remnant."

"You're insane."

"Quite the opposite, Belladonna. I already told you more than I should. No, you can't help. Stay out of this and nobody will be hurt."

"But we could help you..." Ruby protested.

"You don't even know the enemy and you want to help me?" He scoffed. "As I said, stay out of this. Forget this ever happened. For your own good."

Braylon turned around and walked away. Later that day, he would return to Beacon, preparing himself for the next and final task. He knew better than being hopeful, but knowing that he would be a step closer to complete his mission and save Remnant, his new soon-to-be home, gave him a special kind of happiness. A happiness that told him he would finally achieve a peaceful life. That was all he needed; just a peaceful life.

* * *

The next day came quicker than he expected. Time flew as he crafted ammunition for his gun at the Forge, waiting impatiently to finish the last task. The gun and Shield upgrade weren't ready yet, meaning he couldn't use them. As soon as the Bullheads were available, Braylon went to the Residential District, following coordinates given by Linguini. He came to a building that looked like it was left to rot, untouched by Human or Faunus for years, like many others in the street.

Reaching the second floor of the building, Braylon realized that there was nobody in there. Nobody alive, that is. In each room, in each hallway, there was one or two, maximum three, corpses. Shot to death. From the body positions, Braylon deduced that the criminals were caught unprepared. Some didn't even have guns.

" _Seems like I joined the party a little to late._ " Braylon placed his hands on the hips. " _But who could've done that? I better inform Carnel about this._ "

The unexpected, obnoxious noise of police sirens made the hairs on Braylon's neck stand straight as his eyes widened in sudden realization. Running to the nearest window, our Vault Hunter could see cars piling in front of the building, as policemen came out with guns in their hands. He wanted to run, to find safety. But if he decided to do so, he would have even bigger problems. Braylon came to the only possible conclusion that his mind could accept. One that turned his blood icy-cold, struck with the desire for revenge as the law enforcers dragged him away. Everything made sense now.

It was a trap.

Everything became clear now. Carnel, with his lieutenants, devised a plan where Braylon would clear Vale of the biggest threats to Sanus Association. They knew he would comply, because they had something he needed. And then, after the work was done, he would be framed with a crime he didn't commit, also known as the third task. No journalists, no scandal, nothing. To put it in Braylon's terms, they had him by the balls.

No! This wouldn't be his end! He refused to rot in jail! He wouldn't be locked in a concrete box while Remnant was slowly torn apart by demons. No, no, no, no! Carnel… that criminal would pay. The entire Sanus Association would pay for what they did to him. He didn't care how much money they had and what, or whom, could they buy with it. Money was no match for a pissed-off Vault Hunter.

Vale's hand of the law was in Linguini's pocket. The policemen were corrupt or clueless as to what was going on. For them, Braylon was nothing but a criminal that needs to go to jail, like all others they apprehended. Words would be wasted on explanations. No, he had to take another approach to the matter. One he would probably regret. One that would send all of Vale into panic mode.

He had to kill his way to Linguini. Starting from the police station.


	27. Braylon's Revenge

He did it again.

He took many lives for nothing.

Now, a Vault Hunter like Braylon has no problems killing a fellow human, since most don't deserve to live, as evidenced by bandits on his home planet. The problem came when he took many lives only to achieve nothing. That would devastate him. First, there would be panic, then suspicion, then a breakdown. Although he didn't cry, he became very silent in his cell. His mind began reliving the past. No detail was spared, no matter how cruel, unusual or horrifying. The battles he fought, the people he killed, all of it flashed in front of his eyes for what seemed like an eternity. He chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, freak?" The guard hit the door with its baton. Braylon ignored it.

The police confiscated his Unforgiven and Energy Pistol, the only two guns he ever carried on his body and not in his PDA. When they tried to take away his device, he told them why would that be a really bad idea. No policeman knew he had a hidden arsenal ready to be unleashed.

When the guard walked away, Braylon materialized Orphan Maker and quickly put a shell into each barrel. He took few breaths and mentally prepared a simple plan of action; murder every policeman in the station, find the guns, go to the Palace and beat the information out of Carnel Linguini. No room for mistakes. He dreaded the consequences, but there was no other way to save Remnant.

(Scattle – Knock Knock)

Knocking the door down with his foot, Braylon dashed out of his cell, turned towards the startled guard and fired. The guard's torso became a giant hole as organs, bone and muscle were obliterated and scattered on the floor behind him. Reloading, the Vault Hunter ran to the security door. Since it couldn't be opened on his side, he had to wait for a policeman to do it for him. When the door opened, Braylon swiftly put the barrels under the confused policeman's chin and plastered his brains on the ceiling.

He threw the body away as he materialized Ajax's Spear in his other hand. Kicking another door down, he ended up in a giant office filled with more cops, all looking at his direction with shock on their faces. There was no way to know how many people were present. Maybe twenty or more. What is known is the slaughter that happened in that office. Our Vault Hunter refused to release the trigger until everyone was dead or dying. He didn't aim, for there was no need. He simply moved the rifle left and right as bullets tore through bodies, desks, computers, walls, stacks of paper, filing cabinets. After five minutes, the whole office looked like it was hit by a tornado.

Naturally, the alarm went off two minutes after he began firing. The chaos was far too loud for anyone to hear a puny alarm. Braylon was busy reloading Ajax's Spear when he heard a door opening on the other side of the office. To his surprise, he found a policeman wearing a body armor, including a ballistic vest and a helmet, so thick that it made him look fat. Said policeman also carried a minigun.

While Braylon felt flattered, he immediately jumped behind a ruined desk to avoid becoming a human Swiss cheese. The minigun never stopped firing, which infuriated Braylon due to how loud it was. He watched helplessly as many policemen slowly appeared behind the heavily-armored one. His cover wouldn't protect him for long.

Because the situation demanded it, Braylon materialized an unmodified grenade and threw it at the group's direction, which broke into smaller groups of two to three individuals. The moment his grenade exploded, Braylon jumped out of his cover with the Nukem in his hands. One shot killed or fatally injured everyone, minus Braylon, as the floor, walls and ceiling exploded into fire and rubble. After the smoke cleared, Braylon jumped down. The hole led to a locker room. There were some half-naked corpses laying everywhere, possibly collateral damage. Oops.

Braylon didn't find anyone alive, so he calmly switched to Excalibastard and went into the hallway. He shot every cop that stood in his way, then entered into an evidence room. While the personnel ran on the hallways in panic, he emptied box after box of evidence until he found his guns. Then, after putting them into their respective holsters, materialized Vulcan, loaded fire Dust and set the room on fire. Just a precaution.

In the hallway he set a group of people on fire with Vulcan's secondary firing mode, which created fireballs that explode when they come in contact with a surface, including targets. Their screams rang in his ears as he saw them rolling on the ground or running aimlessly. They all died in a matter of seconds.

Another heavily-armored policeman waited for him near some stairs. This one had an automatic shotgun, powerful enough to make holes in a concrete wall, as Braylon learned when he turned around the corner.

" _Bastard!_ " A hole suddenly appeared inches away from his head. " _I need to get rid of him._ "

Swapping Vulcan with Fornax, Braylon fired at the police officer, who screamed as the armor melted due to plasma. He dropped his shotgun and fell on his knees as he continued screaming bloody murder. Running past him and downstairs, Braylon went through many smaller offices, shooting every donut muncher he could find. While many had their flesh and organs liquefied or vaporized, there were moments when some would turn into charred skeletons, covered in warm blood.

Braylon used Ajax's Spear when the battery was empty. There would be a brave police officer here and there, pointing their funny-looking guns at him and scream cliché phrases like "Stop right there!" or "Put your hands in the air!". Braylon would start laughing if the whole situation wasn't so dramatic and sad.

The last group of survivors was found at the entrance hall. It was, quite possibly, the biggest area in the whole station. Small wooden counters stood near the walls, now abandoned. Giant windows let sunshine inside, illuminating the gray walls and checkered floor. Those with a gun found cover behind couches and counters. Everyone else was running for the exit.

People who remained in the hall started screaming when bullets began flying. Braylon slowly picked each group of policemen, until there were none left. He then walked towards the nearest counter, trying to find anyone alive. He stumbled upon a woman in a business suit. Picking her up, he pushed her towards the counter.

"Find a fucking phone and contact Carnel Linguini. Now!"

Braylon had to slap her shock away. Stunned, she nodded and immediately grabbed the nearest phone she could find. After she dialed the number, he snatched the phone from her shaking hands.

"Who is this?"

"It's your buddy, Quartz."

"Quartz? Why are you calling from the police station?"

"I'll tell you why, you fat piece of shit. You probably thought some pigs in blue could stop me from shoving lead up your ass the moment I found out about your trap. Well, I'm sorry to inform you that you have… what… fifty or more people on your conscience? Yeah, that's right. I turned the whole station into a giant fucking graveyard, just for you."

He could hear breathing on the other side becoming unsteady.

"Why are you so surprised, fucktard? You think I would live as long as I do if I weren't a tough son of a bitch?" He chuckled. "No matter… no matter. Know, that I know a lot of ways for getting what I want from you. The moment I finish this call, I will find a car, I will come there and I won't stop beating the shit out of you until you spill all your damn teeth, understand?!"

"Quartz, listen to me. You are making a big, big..."

Braylon ended the call. It was time to show Carnel Linguini who Braylon Monocriffe really was.

* * *

The Palace was probably swarming with mooks, Braylon thought as the police car he stole crashed through another roadblock, killing two mobsters. That was the third in a row.

" _You enjoy hurting people, slave?_ "

" _No._ "

" _Yet your actions speak differently._ "

" _I thought you said you were busy._ "

" _Oh, I am… I am._ "

His eyes widened when he saw the barricade in front of the entrance; Two rows of sandbags and wooden planks, filled with guards armed to the teeth. There was even a Howitzer-lookalike on wheels, barrel pointed in his direction.

And he was going towards it.

" _Seems to me they are aware of your little 'escapade', correct?_ "

" _Shiiiiiit_ _!_ … _Jump, you asshole!_ "

Braylon jumped out of the car moments before the Howitzer-lookalike blew it up. The explosion threw him on the road as his ears rang painfully.

" _Nice way of welcoming guests, don't you think?_ " The voice laughed as Braylon shook his head.

" _Like the good old times, for fuck's sake._ Ugh..." His mind, clear of confusion, reminded him of the danger. Blinking, he moved his eyes towards the gate. They were ready to fire again. The Vault Hunter jumped on his legs and quickly ran behind a tiny building as another explosion destroyed the road.

(Guns, Gore and Cannoli – Top of Belluccio State)

" _Maybe I should respond in kind._ "

Nukem appeared in his hands, which was used to blow up everything in front of the gate, including the gate itself. Braylon wasn't aware of ammunition boxes present behind those sandbags, so the resulting explosion was even louder and messier than he had anticipated. Nearby windows were destroyed by stray bullets, as were few cars present. Double oops.

"I'm coming for you, Carnel Linguini!"

Switching Nukem for Ajax's Spear, Braylon ran forward, shooting two mobsters who ran towards him with baseball bats and axes. Deviating from the gravel road by going left, he reached a giant statue of Azwalt Linguini surrounded by bushes and flowers. There was a man with a shotgun who tried to shoot him, but Ajax's Spear blew up his right hand instead. He cried and screamed in pain and terror as Braylon decapitated him with the Holo Sabre.

"Time to die!"

Man number two jumped out from the bushes with something similar to a drill. Before he could harm the Vault Hunter, he was knocked down with an uppercut. Braylon took the tool and drilled a hole between the mafioso's eyes.

"Death is my friend, pal."

A bullet out of nowhere destroyed one of the statue's legs, sending debris everywhere. Braylon had to jump-roll away to avoid death by a falling piece of sculpted marble.

" _Are these people total idiots? Did they really thought I would-_ "

A bullet missed his right feet by several inches. He understood where it came from, so he crouched and approached some bushes, materializing Omni-Cannon in the process. As expected, the shot came from somewhere high. More precisely, from one window where a sniper made a nest for himself. A silenced shot blew his head off.

Braylon killed two more people that stood on a balcony to the right, one of which fell down, alerting nearby mobsters. He managed to kill one of them before they went for cover. On his way to the gravel road, he encountered a woman who threw Molotov cocktails at him. Firing with his Omni-Cannon, he shot the bottle she had in her hand, which set her on fire. Unfortunately, it also set on fire a giant tree behind her. A tree that looked really, really old. Triple oops. I think there is a theme going on here.

When he returned, rather than following the road towards the entrance, he stopped and used the sniper scope to check for any defensive measures; two cannons, two heavy machine guns and a man with a rocket launcher on a balcony above the door. There were also two groups behind sandbags, with Brans Tarkvinus shouting orders. Braylon noticed a box on the balcony filled with explosives, possibly to throw them on his head should he approach the door. When he shot it, the entire balcony exploded, with some bits that rained down on those below, ending in another explosion.

With the entrance now blocked, Braylon decided to find another way in. By going right, thus deviating from the road again, he followed a route to the parking lot situated on the other side of the Palace. It was peaceful until he reached said parking lot, where mooks were hidden behind cars, shooting at Braylon with their rifles.

"That's the whack job! Shoot! Shoot!"

The Vault Hunter blew up one car with an unmodified grenade, then killed a man by spilling his brains with the Unforgiven, finding cover behind a large staircase that led to a patio. Those men kept firing not to harm him, but to put him in a corner, Braylon thought, until backup comes to kill him like a rat. To prevent that, Braylon was forced to use Nukem once again. It was risky, because he had no Shield to protect him, but he had no choice. So he stood up as fast as he could, fired a shot, then crouched.

It didn't hit anything in particular, that wasn't even the point. It did, however, blew up two more cars, injured those who weren't killed and raised a dust cloud that covered the whole area. From there, it became easy for Braylon to kill the remaining mobsters as they were stunned or blinded by the explosion.

"Man, everyone's a killer until the real killer walks into the room."

The patio was, for such a luxurious building, nothing too interesting. To the left stood, apart from some wooden benches, the walls of the Palace, with giant windows every few meters. A tiny stone wall, decorated with vases, stood on the right side, possibly to prevent anyone from falling down. It was shaped like a long and thin rectangle, only few meters wide. The only door he could see was on the other side, guarded by none other than Jasper Andymon with a heavy machine gun. When Jasper noticed Braylon, he began firing without mercy. Cursing, the only way he could be safe was to jump through the nearest window.

(Guns, Gore and Cannoli – Round the Tip Top Alley)

A woman screamed after the intruder broke the glass into pieces, rolling on the floor before shooting the only man present in the room with his revolver, hitting the jugular vein. Blood gushed out as the man fell on his knees, before dropping dead ten seconds later. The woman lost her consciousness.

"They don't make women as they used to." Braylon shook his head as he materialized Orphan Maker. He ran to the door, aimed and waited for the first idiot to come. The ugly mug appeared few moments later, wearing a white tank top and black pants. A pull of the trigger and everything from waist up was smeared on the wall of the hallway. Braylon stashed Orphan Maker and took out Striker, shooting a man's head off in said hallway.

"Ain't that a kick in the head?!" He boasted as Jasper appeared from the right corner, holding a grenade launcher. "Shit!" He leaped back into the room as a grenade exploded in the hallway, forming a hole in the wall where the dead end was supposed to be.

"Cover me!" He heard Jasper as he went out of the room. A door opened several meters down the hallway, but Braylon shot anyone who was behind said door before they could even do anything. Jasper appeared not long after. Braylon fired a shot and Jasper was forced to hide behind the cover once again.

" _This is pointless._ " Braylon thought as he threw a grenade he materialized. After the explosion, he found Jasper's body, without one arm and leg. The grenade killed him before he could run away.

Going left, following the hallway, he reached a kitchen that could only belong to a five-star restaurant, equipped with many stoves, fridges, sinks and a plethora of kitchen utensils. Only four cooks were present, making him believe that those were the bravest ones. Indeed, each carried something, looking like they were ready to slit his throat.

A thin guy swung his rolling pin at Braylon, who crouched to avoid the attack. Standing up, Braylon hit the cook's jaw with the stock of his shotgun, who fell pathetically on the ground, whimpering. It was pointless to waste ammo on him.

The second cook, however, was a whole another story. He was the oldest man present in the room and also the fattest. Carrying a cleaver, he ran at Braylon, roaring like a bear. Despite receiving a hole in the abdomen, courtesy of Striker, he managed to stand on his legs. Not even a second shot brought him down. He just spun around, shambled to the nearest fridge and clung to it as best as he could. Meanwhile, Braylon shot the remaining cooks.

"Where's Carnel?" He punched the fat cook. "I'm having a lead sale today. You don't want to participate more than you did. Tell me what I want to know!"

"S… scre..."

Bang.

"I warned you. Now your head's all over the place."

Somone opened a door to his right. It was yet another mafioso, one with a blunderbuss. Braylon blew his head off. The body twitched left and right as blood covered everything near it, before dropping down like a bag. Out in the hallway few meters forward, he found some elevator buttons. He used the elevator to reach the top floor. When he got out, he looked both left and right. Down the hallway, to the left, stood Carnel Linguini with his last living lieutenant, mouth open and eyes wide. He was so shocked that he dropped those few luggages he carried.

(Guns, Gore and Cannoli – Bonnino's Last Tarantella)

"Shit! It's him!" The lieutenant shouted as he pushed Carnel into a room. "Don't let him near the boss, you hear me?!"

"Listen, retards! If you don't wanna die, I suggest you get the fuck out of my way! Otherwise I'll shove so many bullets up your ass, you will choke on your own shit!" Braylon warned as he materialized Ajax's Spear in one hand and Excalibastard in another. "Understand?!"

Every now and then, a door would open as he ran forward. Braylon used Ajax's Spear to kill those meant to ambush him. He even used Excalibastard's bayonet to stab a tall guy's throat, before freezing another. The last guy jumped out from a room on the left, screaming as he fired from his Tommy Gun at the Vault Hunter. Braylon received few bullets in his chest but otherwise successfully managed to freeze the bastard and shatter him to pieces with a kick.

Shooting the doorknob away, Braylon barged into the room. It was the same office from back when he met Carnel the first time. But where was he? He looked left and, cursing, approached a doorway that wasn't supposed to be there. Could it be a super-secret-cliché exit?

"That motherfucker!"

Braylon went through the doorway and downstairs. There was barely space to turn around and the tiny, spiral staircase didn't help. Soon, he reached an underground bunker that, apparently, was a garage. Unlike the rest of the Palace, the bunker was mostly empty and uninteresting. He dematerialized Excalibastard, materialized Holo Sabre and cut down the metallic door in front of him.

Carnel and Tommie were just about to escape, when Braylon shot at the driver, stopping them before they could even start the car. Praying that wasn't Carnel, he reached said car and aimed at the window. Luckily, Carnel was unharmed, just a little shocked that his lieutenant's brains and blood were on his suit.

The Vault Hunter tore the door away with his bare hands.

"You can't hide from me, fat bastard." Braylon said as he threatened with his assault rifle. "Get out."

Carnel complied without uttering a word. Braylon wondered how much action did he actually see in his life.

"Today I killed… a lot of people. Like, easily more than a hundred. And let's not mention those I killed yesterday. It kinda… it kinda makes me wonder how much of the stuff you told me was true. Be honest, now. Come on."

"Quartz, it's not what you think-"

"Doesn't matter now. I'm here for what I asked.

"Okay, okay…" Carnel coughed awkwardly. "T-there's… a collector of… ancient documents and archives, in Residential District. I… I can write the address."

"Then let's go upstairs. Write it down. Then you'll die. Don't make that face, you thought I was gonna simply let you go? After all of this?"

Braylon chuckled as they went upstairs, towards the office they first met. Carnel quickly grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down an address. When asked why, he replied:

"It's what you are looking for; a man who collects old documents and such items. Just tell him my name." Carnel was strangely calm for a man who looked so desperate just moments ago. He probably accepted his fate. Braylon shot him the moment he put the pen down.

"Oops. My finger slipped." Grabbing the piece of paper, he went out of the office. "Well… at least I don't have to hide the bodies..." Shrugging, he walked towards the exit. " _Let's see if he told me the truth or not._ "

* * *

 **And this, dear readers, is the end of Volume 1 of the story! I apologize for yet another delay, I had some problems I needed to solve. Volume 2 starts with the next chapter and, needless to say, things will become more complicated. Grimm, demons, extra-dimensional beings, bandits… one big clusterfuck waiting to be unleashed in the most destructive way possible. I already have some planned arcs but I'll see how it will all turn out. Creativity can be either an ally or an enemy.**

 **Please leave a review after you finished reading. Thank you.**


	28. The Cursed Island

Jaune was happy. He had the right to be.

Who could even imagine that faking your way into one of the most prestigious schools on Remnant would not only be so easy, but also gift you with many, many benefits? A room, a team of friendly people, being the leader of said team of friendly people, another team of friendly people as neighbors, food and so on. Sure, there were a few problems here and there. For example, his lack of experience with the family heirloom was way too obvious, though nothing that can't be fixed. Cardin used to bully him (yes, he finally said it) but now he was… actually, he had no idea on that one, but he liked the change.

And then there was his other neighbor.

Jaune didn't know much about him, except that he was very rude at the initiation. There wasn't any kind of social bonding between the two or anything like that, except the apology. They both treated each other like that one neighbor you know forever, yet you never speak to them. If you do speak to them, it's usually something unimportant. Today he, Jaune Arc, would change that, more out of necessity than anything else. The guy could be so scary sometimes.

As for why, it was pretty simple. He and his team came to a conclusion; why bother learning how to be a Huntsman if you can't get the feeling of it? And by feeling, they meant practice. What practice? Why, a mission of course! A first ever mission as a team! He needed to thank Pyrrha for encouraging him. Yes, it would be scary. Yes, it would be dangerous. But honestly? He didn't care. He had to start from somewhere, right? Jaune Arc, leader of the Huntsman team JNPR.

Although, he had to admit, they won't be alone. Braylon would come with them too. This idea came from, surprisingly, Pyrrha herself. She said he could help them protecting him. He had nothing against Braylon, but that irritated him so much. Was he destined to be the weakling of his team, despite being the leader? Another reason why he accepted to go on a real mission. It would help him improve his skills.

After they ate some grub, Jaune and his team went towards Braylon's room. As strange as it sounds, Braylon didn't come out from his room for a whole week, as far as they knew. No one even bothered to check if he was alive, only Nora did it once and the reply wasn't pretty. He didn't even go to classes, worrying many professors, who always got the same reply "everything was fine". On his way to there, Jaune and his team encountered their second neighbors, team RWBY. They all wore different outfits from the usual ones.

"Hey." Jaune waved. Yang replied instead of Ruby, as she usually did.

"Hi, Jaune."

"Where are you going?" He asked, checking out each member. Something was wrong, he could feel it. Ruby looked distant, in another world entirely. She barely noticed them. Yang was worried for reasons unknown to him. Only Blake and Weiss acted "normal", with the former being stoic and latter cold and prideful.

"Oh, we..." Yang rubbed the back of her head and smiled weakly. "We're..."

"Going out, as a team." Weiss said for her. "We decided to… have some fun. In Vale."

"Alright." Jaune nodded, oblivious as always. "Have fun, then…?"

"Is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. Nothing to be worried about." Weiss replied. "Now excuse us, we must go." They went without even saying goodbye.

"Pyrrha?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"Did you notice… anything unusual, with them?"

"Yes. Something is troubling them. I'm not sure what, though."

"I would love to help them..." He looked at his teammates. "But we have a mission to do. As soon as we're done, we are going to help team RWBY. If they want, of course. Alright?"

They all agreed and moved further, reaching Braylon's door. Jaune knocked.

"Uh, Braylon? It's Jaune..." Pyrrha nodded when he turned his head to her. Nora gave him a thumbs up. Ren just watched. "...Jaune Arc."

(Kevin Macleod – Sneaky Snitch)

The person behind that door couldn't be Braylon. Jaune refused to believe it. A comb didn't touch that messy hair for days, Jaune was sure. The bags under those wide eyes, and the smell that came from his body, horrified team JNPR. But the worst was his mouth, from which came an unbearable stench. Jaune had to use all his mental strength to stop his stomach from vomiting out his lunch.

"What?" He said in a quick and frustration-filled voice. They weren't really welcome, were they?

"Um..." Jaune coughed in his fist. "Is… this a good time to…?"

"No." Braylon cut him off. "What do you want? Make it quick. I'm busy."

Jaune looked his team once more before replying: "We're going on a mission, a real one and..."

"No." Pyrrha, in Jaune's defense, blocked the door before Braylon could close it. "I'm. Busy." He repeated trough clenched teeth. Thanks Pyrrha, Jaune thought.

"Can you at least hear us out?" She asked.

"What part of "I'm busy" you don't understand?"

"But it's your duty." She insisted.

He frowned. "Pardon?"

"To quote the headmaster..."

"Yes. I know that." He interrupted. "But I have the freedom to choose whom I can help."

"We insist." She crossed her arms. Pyrrha was a nice person, but she could be stubborn. He was so glad she was his partner.

"What do I gain from helping you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Everyone else asks my help too. Usually around homework or some chores. It doesn't matter. What does matter is my payment."

Pyrrha was struck, as was Ren. Nora frowned. Jaune was confused.

"You're… asking payment for what you are supposed to do?" Jaune thought out loud.

"Supposed to do?" Braylon laughed. It was a dry laugh, empty of emotions. He then sang: "Ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees. I've got bills to pay, I've got a mouth to feed, ain't nothing in this world for free..."

"That's so selfish." Nora blurted out.

"In the end, what matters to me, is me. Same for you. It's the nature of things."

"But lives are in danger."

"So?"

"A Huntsman is supposed to help people in need..." Pyrrha added.

Braylon sighed loudly as his head moved back. "It's all so tiresome." In the end, he opened the door. "Come in. Don't mind the current state of my room."

It was amazing how one person could do things a team of four people couldn't. Case in point, Braylon's room. Some sheets lay on the floor, stained with things unknown. Books and papers were scattered on a table and the floor around it. There were also some bottles piled up in a corner and that particular smell that only comes when fresh air fails to reach the room trough windows. Jaune was too depressed by the sight to remember its name.

"What's this "mission" about?" He even made the air quotes with his fingers. Was he trying to make them angry?

Jaune took his Scroll and handed it to him. An article on a news website popped up on the screen. Braylon's eyes skimmed trough the text.

"We want to find out what happened on that island."

"Let me get this straight." He started. "You want to find out why a city on an island is silent for quite some time, despite the fact that the actual Huntsmen who went there didn't come back and the fact that any attempt to approach the island with ships or Bullheads resulted in almost catastrophic deaths for everyone on board?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Jaune gulped. His sight casually spotted many photos and blueprints attached to a wall, all connected with red lines. What was Braylon doing all this time?

"I swear, if I had a penny for every… never mind." Braylon facepalmed. "I damn hope you have a lot of money in your pockets for wasting my time like this. Let's go."

"Wait, you want to go now?"

"No, no! I need to take a shower first."

* * *

It was all a massive fuck up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our program! This is Cole Henderson and we got some fresh news for you fine folks!"

He knew the show at the police station and the Palace would bring massive problems on a macro level, so much that the following week would be a nightmare. At least no one knew he was the reason behind it, because everyone was either dead or a traumatized wreck.

"Violent crime is expected to rise even more as the recent terrorist attack on the police station and the Palace shocked the kingdom. To combat this threat, the kingdom of Atlas decided to send its soldiers to the city of Vale. General James Ironwood claims this was bound to happen, due to the upcoming Vytal Festival."

All hell broke loose on day One. The media exploded with news about the massacre Braylon commited. Hundreds of shops were robbed in a few hours. Beacon had to send Huntsmen-in-training non-stop. The wall barely held back the horde of insane Grimm that waited for an opportunity to kill a Human being. Vale became Texas.

"More news for you! So you might remember how I talked about some weird things happening in one of the forests in Mistral. The same village now reports that the situation has escalated even further. One anonymous hunter commented: "Two days ago I went deep into the forest in search for animals. The nature around me became really purple. Everything was dead and decaying. That's when I've spotted this strange floating animal with many eyes, green pus and rotten body. I've never seen anything like it." The Mistral government declared they will put the entire zone in quarantine."

Nora and Ren were visibly worried. They asked Braylon if he could raise the volume on his PDA radio, which he did even if he wasn't listening. His mind returned to day Two, when many Bullheads landed on Beacon grounds. When Braylon saw all those soldiers in white, he seriously thought they were there for him, so he locked himself in the room, guns pointed at the door. It took several hours of hacking into security systems of the academy to find out the real reason why they came. A VIP in a white uniform came to visit the headmaster. He didn't know the reasons why because there were no cameras in Ozpin's office.

"According to a report, Atlas' new threat is, hear this, the dead rising from the grave. Even if these "zombies" were all destroyed, the government has declared that the deceased must be cremated until the scientists figure out the cause for this strange phenomenon which, some theorize, is connected with the strange energy signatures discovered not too long ago. Apocalypse predictors haven't been this excited since the Great War."

Things changed for the worse on day Three. The voice, out of nowhere, began with its speeches about how he should hurry up. It sounded really strange, because never before it cared about time. Actually, it never cared at all, just that he did what it said. And now it was nagging him constantly about time limits. Read faster, write it down, remember. It became unbearable. The nagging stopped two days later, without a warning.

"This is all for now, ladies and gentlemen. It's time for some of your favorite music. Stay tuned."

Another victim was discovered in Beacon. Drained of fluids and all. Braylon knew it wasn't the second, but one of many, many victims. If this was the second corpse they found, that meant it already learned how to either hide the bodies or do it in absolute secrecy. Robots began patrolling the hallways shortly after the discovery. Now he was sure he had to find the Maiden without alerting anyone. A school full of super soldiers was enough of a problem. An army of robots was, de facto, overkill.

"Ren, are we close?"

"I hope so, Nora."

"This ride is bo-ring."

On day Six, he remembered he had forgot to pick up his newest toys at the Forge. The old man was swearing without restraint, but Braylon could feel the pride in his voice when he talked about his new gun and Shield.

The gun was, quite simply, the chimera of modern technology. A rocket launcher with a rate of fire of an assault rifle and low recoil. Not as powerful as Nukem, but twice as effective. Its magazines worked and looked like a revolver's cylinder; rotating with each shot. Rather than having one barrel, it had four, connected in a rotating cylinder, similar to a minigun. It could be held like an assault rifle, but it had no stock. The scope would come out from the gun's body with the push of a button near the trigger. Another button near the first one turned the rocket launcher into a grenade launcher. The idea was to use the rocket launcher mode to mow down enemies in front of the user, while the grenade launcher would either hit those behind cover, or simply bombard groups of enemies. Much like Vulcan, different Dust-based ammunition had different effects, though "normal" ammunition could be used as well, should Braylon ever get out of Remnant again. He called it Leviathan.

"Attention." The pilot's voice rang through the intercom. "We're approaching the island's port. I can see Grimm down there. Landing isn't possible, but I can get you near a roof. You should be able to land from there."

Day Seven was spent drinking and resting. He wanted to spend the whole day doing nothing. And now here he was, wasting his time on some mystery that might or might not be connected to his worst fears.

"Grimm, huh?" Braylon sighed. "So this is just pest control. Awesome."

Everyone had strange looks on their faces. He understood their reaction. But to him, Grimm weren't much of a threat. They were more like pests without a respectable intelligence and the instinct of self-preservation. Paradoxically, this also made them very dangerous. From what he read about Grimm, the only reason they won was because of their relentless assaults. After one wave was over, the survivors became more desperate, which in turn attracted even more Grimm than before. As the Bullhead reached the roof of a building, Braylon materialized Leviathan and prepared for the worst.

" _Moving them away from me will be like trying to remove flies from a hunk of shit. I better be careful._ "

The port was rather small. It had only three buildings, one of them being a small warehouse not far from their location. Aside from some vehicles, the whole place was empty like a ghost town. Apart from the Grimm infestation, nothing else was present, not even corpses.

"Strange."

"What's strange?" Jaune asked.

"There's so many Grimm, yet no bodies. Did everyone escape before they arrived?" Some nearby Beowolves and Boarbatusks sensed them, especially him, and began approaching the building.

"We got company!" Ren warned from the other side.

"They're trying to surround us!" Pyrrha concluded. "We have to go down!"

(Atrium Carceri – Approaching the Coven)

Braylon watched as each member of team JNPR jumped down gracefully and began fighting, everyone except Jaune, who landed awkwardly only to run away as soon as an Ursa went closer. Pyrrha killed three Beowolves with swift attacks of her spear-rifle, counterattacking before they could even respond. Ren used his pistols, although his Aura-enhanced attacks were way more efficient, to the point that he killed one Ursa with a kick to its neck. Nora wasn't unlike the two of them. What she couldn't smash with her hammer, she blew up with the grenade launcher, laughing like a psychopath as pieces of Grimm fell from the sky. Jaune… was okay.

The Vault Hunter jumped after JNPR cleared some of the Grimm. Putting Leviathan to test, he aimed at one young Beowolf and fired.

One detail made Leviathan very unique. Unlike a normal rocket launcher, Leviathan was able to use electromagnetic force to launch rockets at high speed, similar to a railgun. As a result, the fuel that would otherwise be used to propel the rocket forward, was used to make each shot even deadlier than normal. The sharpened tip punched through the young Beowolf's forehead and into the stomach of the older sibling behind it, whose stomach exploded seconds later.

Braylon already knew the problem that Leviathan had. It fired way too fast, so it could easily eat up all ammo, which was hard to make. The only way to prevent this was to fire in short bursts. Each magazine could hold twenty rockets or six grenades, although the latter were another story. He could only use the fully automatic function where precision and carefulness weren't necessary, such as when a group of two Boarbatusks and one Ursa were charging at him from a longer distance.

The other problem was precision. It could hit the desired target in medium distances. On longer distances, not so much. When he fired at the Boarbatusks and Ursa, he blew up their bodies and legs. Only one Boarbatusk had its head destroyed by a rocket.

The third problem were the rockets themselves. They really packed a punch, able to pierce through the bone-like plates of the Grimm like nothing. He had to be careful when using Leviathan because he could hurt himself too. This wasn't a big problem, however, because his Shield was also upgraded. So upgraded, in fact, that Braylon had to invent a new name for it, because the change were drastic, such as bigger Shield battery. So he changed the name of the Shield to "The Bumblebee".

He reloaded Leviathan when Jaune was spotted running away from an Ursa. This Ursa was different from the last. It was larger and better armored, having limbs and back covered in more plates than usual.*

It was a perfect opportunity to test other features. Pressing the trigger rapidly four times, Leviathan loaded one rocket in each barrel. When the trigger was pressed again, it shot all four rockets at once, straight into the Ursa's side. The rockets exploded in perfect synchronicity. It didn't just tore the Grimm in half, it also threw the pieces far away from each other. It was like seeing an animal being hit by one of those high-speed trains.

One Alpha Beowolf lunged at him out of nowhere. It was brought down by Nora's hammer. She even giggled as the Grimm was dying in front of him. He muttered a 'thank you' but he doubted she heard him. The last Grimm in their current area was killed by Jaune. It was a short, bipedal creature without arms and barely any white plates on its back and head. Creep was its name.**

JNPR and Braylon achieved a consensus about going around the port to exterminate the remaining Grimm. Every once in a while, they would find few stragglers, which would be killed immediately and without effort. Most of the work was done from Pyrrha or Ren when it came to lightly-armored Grimm. Nora would jump in where brute force was necessary. Jaune and Braylon felt like they were the third wheel.

"Man. That's the first time I feel unnecessary in a job." Braylon commented, searching for Grimm.

"Yeah..." Jaune said, not having anything useful to add.

"There is one thing I don't understand." Pyrrha sighed. "Why are so many Grimm here?"

"Something attracted them, that's for sure." Braylon answered.

"But what?"

"Not Humans or Faunus. That's for sure."

"About that..." Jaune spun around. "...where is everyone?"

"That's what I want to know. Maybe they are in the warehouse? It's the only place we haven't searched."

"Good thinking, Braylon."

"I know."

(Atrium Carceri – A Stroll Through the Ancient City)

They headed for the warehouse. There were few Beowolves and Boarbatusks scratching or hitting the walls. Among them, there were also those bipedal Grimm we mentioned earlier, although some of them had more armor and were slightly taller. ***

The biggest concern for the group of Huntsmen-in-training was one Ursa in front of the hangar door of the warehouse. It stood on its hind legs, revealing two swords stabbed in its back. When it turned around, moaning like a stereotypical zombie, its features received more attention than anything else. Its mask was badly damaged, one eye and ear were missing and some of the teeth were rotten. The black fur was missing on many parts of the body, replaced by corroded skin or simply missing big chunks of meat. In the latter case, they could see pieces of bones sticking out from the wounds. One portion of the rib cage was completely exposed. ****

"Dibs on the Ursa!" Braylon yelled, switching Leviathan for Striker. " _I need to save ammo._ "

JNPR split apart, attacking other Grimm. The Ursa ignored them and focused on Braylon, who fired two shots in its chest. It walked forward, seemingly ignoring hot lead. A raspy sound could be heard coming from its throat as it opened the mouth, releasing brown gas in the form of a jet. Braylon ran away as the ground he stood on began melting and hissing. He shot the Ursa again but to no avail.

" _Hmm… what if I shoot the head?_ " He thought as he avoided another stream of gas. Firing at the head stopped its attack, stunning it. The Grimm moaned again and fell on all fours. " _Nothing! Screw it, I am burning it alive!_ " Vulcan replaced Striker, loaded with fire Dust. Braylon kept the finger on the trigger until it became nothing but smoldering ashes. Meanwhile, JNPR killed all other Grimm.

"Quick, we have to open the door!"

"Leave it to me." Braylon said as he ran forward. Cracking his knuckles, he grabbed the door and pulled it sideways. He heard gasps of horror behind him. "What? What's going..."

His voice stopped in his throat. Braylon quickly spun around, to JNPR. The reactions varied, but all of them were negative. Ren hugged Nora, doing everything he could to stop her from looking. Jaune was few meters away, vomiting. Pyrrha just placed her hands in front of her mouth.

"What happened to these people?" She whispered.

"Try to help your team. I'm going in."

"Why?" She asked, somehow even more scared when she heard him. He was probably mad in her mind.

Nevertheless, he didn't answer. When inside, he was able to take in the macabre display of death. In each corner of the warehouse there was a small pile of skulls, some of them picked clean, with few black candles giving weak light. The centerpiece was one giant pentagram made of glowing blood, where each point had a stake with exactly one corpse impaled on it. Two corpses were mutilated, missing their heads and limbs. One was impaled in such a way that none of his organs were harmed, yet the victim could feel pain until it died of blood loss or pain itself, whichever came first. Some corpses were also hanging from the roof, with one being nothing but a bloody skeleton while another had their chest empty of everything.

It was safe to say that team JNPR received their first traumatic shock events. Just one of many, Braylon thought. One of many they would eventually acquire due to their "careers". But there was no time or place for empathy, for Braylon was scared in his own way. His mind began panicking as it searched for answers where it knew there would be none, because there was nothing that would prove any of his hypotheses. Who could've done this and for what purpose? Was it a Human? If so, does this mean that there was a satanic cult on the island? If that was a yes, then it was safe to say that Remnant had many others scattered all over the planet, which in turn meant that Remnant was doomed from the start and all he had done was just one big waste of time.

However, there was another, scarier, hypothesis. What if this carnage was done by demons? But if demons were to blame, that meant they did it some time ago, as some bodies were the proof, decaying beyond something one would want to see. That was impossible, he thought, the voice would warn him if demons came again on Remnant soil.

But what if it didn't?

What if the voice kept this demonic invasion hidden from him? That would be counterproductive, because the voice needed Braylon to find the Maidens before other demons did. That implied some sort of competition or sabotage. Could the whole thing be an act and nothing more? He suddenly remembered those words…

'A house divided against itself cannot stand.'

That meant…

No. He shouldn't jump to conclusions so early. There was one more possibility. What if this invasion went below the voice's "radar"? What if it was done in a manner where the voice would be unable to perceive it? But then why would it hurry him up when it came to finding the Maiden? Why not just tell him about the invasion?

Another thing. What was the purpose of this massacre? Could it be a ritual? What for? He tried to ask, but the voice was quiet.

" _Why aren't you answering?_ "

Gunshots.

(MadWorld – Crazy)

" _What now?_ "

Braylon went outside. He found Pyrrha and her teammates fending off some Boarbatusks. Someone tried to warn him but the growls coming from his left were enough of a warning. Braylon and the Alpha Beowolf grabbed each other by the throat. Then the Vault Hunter decided to materialize Holo Sabre right through the Grimm's head. Forcibly removing the holographic weapon, Braylon cut the Beowolf's head into pieces.

"Fuck off! Damn it!"

He cursed as another Beowolf bit his Shield-protected arm. Braylon took Unforgiven and shoved the barrel into one of its eyes. A bullet through the brain was required for the Beowolf to let go.

Next in line was a Boarbatusk, who charged at him. Braylon jumped away and fired at its back. The bullet went through the bony plates, but it didn't kill the Grimm. Excalibastard appeared in his hands just as the boar-like monster turned around. It evaded the laser beam and quickly spun forward, something a Boarbatusk can do. Braylon immediately jumped away, letting the Boarbatusk hit and kill a Beowolf. The beam hit it this time, freezing its internal organs.

"Nevermores!" Someone yelled. Braylon looked at the sky. A flock of twenty Nevermores the size of a raven was circling above them. Four came down, one of them at Braylon.

" _Where they come from?!_ " Braylon thought nervously as he impaled the bird Grimm with the bayonet. Just then, the answer dawned on him regarding the possible reason for the massacre ritual.

What if it was a method of attracting the Grimm?

"We need to get out of here!" Pyrrha yelled for everyone to hear.

"I agree!" Braylon added as he shot a tiny Grimm shaped like a scorpion. It had a golden stinger and bone plates that covered a large part of its body, covered in red markings. People used to call it "Death Stalker". *****

He needed to destroy the warehouse. Maybe it would stop attracting Grimm. His reason was something else; to destroy any evidence regarding demons. Who knew what would happen if it fell in the wrong hands. Materializing Nukem, he blew up the warehouse, much to both Grimm's and JNPR's surprise.

"Quick! Run!" Braylon shouted as he spun around and ran, JNPR following him.

"Why did you blew up that place?!" Jaune asked.

"Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, yes?"

"I think so?"

"People were were tortured to death inside that warehouse. It's probably what attracted them."

"But the people…!"

"There was nothing left to bury. Now move!"

Team JNPR and Braylon ran towards a fence gate. There was a road that led uphill, their only way to escape from the infested port. At one point, when they were about to reach the gate, the ground shook violently.

"What's going on?!"

In front of the gate, the Huntsmen-in-training were able to see the concrete suddenly cracking and falling apart, followed by very loud buzzing. They noticed a large, cone-shaped drill slowly rising up until the whole thing could be seen. It became apparent that the drill was actually a cross between a barnacle and a shell, covered in red markings. Tentacles with arrowhead tips came out of the shell after the "drill" stopped moving. Something shone red through the mass of black tentacles. Braylon thought it was an eye, since it looked spherical.******

"Gravedrill!" Ren said. "Be careful everyone!"

The Grimm suddenly jumped ten meters high and, somehow, changed trajectory mid-air, towards Braylon. What used to be a drill now was a spike that was falling down with the speed of a cannonball. Someone pushed him away. The Grimm crashed through the concrete and into the dirt below.

"Holy fuck!" Braylon's jaw dropped. "It can do that?!"

"We have to move!" Pyrrha fired at the Grimm horde that was coming their way. Nora grabbed Braylon and helped him get up, before they escaped through the gate.

"They're gonna chase us, aren't they?"

Following the road, JNPR and Braylon entered into a forest. They managed to reduce the number of Grimm following them. There was still to many Grimm.

Braylon knew why there were so many. It wasn't just the warehouse. It was him. He was the one attracting Grimm left and right. A walking bait, so to speak.

Yet this bait lead to their death. He proposed for the team to split into smaller groups, with him going alone, to make more targets which would reduce the horde into small packs. Luckily there were no protests, also because he knew they would have it easy. There was no fear of getting lost, since the path was easy to find.

The only way he could succeed was to go berserk on the Grimm. Traps would take far too much time. Ambushes were impossible since they could track him like a bunch of dogs. Strategies wouldn't be very effective due to the amount of diverse opponents that required different approaches.

He stopped running some moments later. Holo Sabre was materialized and ready.

The first three Grimm that caught up with him were two Beowolves and a Boarbatusk. The latter pushed both Beowolves away and charged. Braylon waited, jumped sideways and swung the Sabre horizontally, slicing the Boarbatusk in two halves. Those Beowolves weren't intimidated. One of them jumped but Braylon chopped it in two mid-air. Others showed up when he beheaded the third Grimm he needed to kill.

"Just in time for your death." Braylon cracked his knuckles. "I could use a punching bag or two."

One Creep tried to bite him, drunk by the sudden surge of anger. He sidestepped and cut its head off. Dematerializing Holo Sabre, Braylon came up to a Beowolf and swiped the legs. As it flew mid-air, he brought down his fist on its snout, brutally crushing its head into the ground.

"You bastards piss me off way too much!"

Braylon grabbed another Beowolf by the fur on its chest and ran towards a big rock, hitting the Grimm that stood in his way. He dropped the howling beast on said rock, grabbed its head and smashed it against the surface of the object. Again and again, until the arms stopped flailing and the rock became red with blood.

Turning around, he saw a Boarbatusk rushing towards him. But Braylon was tired of dodging, so he raised his hands and waited. He grabbed the boar Grimm by its tusks moments before it could hit him successfully.

"Fuck you!"

First he stomped its head once, stunning it. Then, he wrapped his arms around the head, lifted up and suplexed the Grimm, eviscerating it with Holo Ripper afterwards.

"After I'm done with you, people will need to bury you in three separate graves."

A rock smashed against its head.

He was fine, thanks to the Shield, but his head tilted sideways, like when you punch someone really hard. Braylon slowly turned around, staring at the Beowolf who dared to throw that rock.

"You are so dead."

It understood little. He thought it also cared little, because it threw another rock at him. A rock that he broke with his fist. As it crouched to grab another object it could throw, the Vault Hunter ran at the Beowolf, only to jump and deliver a headbutt mid-air, knocking it backwards. He materialized a grenade in his hand, which he shoved into the Beowolf's throat. After that, he switched Ripper for Holo Claw, which he used to stab the Beowolf's chest. He lifted it over his head and threw it at a small group of Grimm. The grenade killed them all.

The ground beneath him began shaking slightly. He immediately jumped away, thus evading being impaled by the Gravedrill. It was the size of a human, but he couldn't care less at the moment. Nothing could intimidate him.

"There you are. Almost thought you wouldn't show up."

Braylon materialized Striker. The two shots he fired at the tentacles had no effect. After he jumped to avoid being hit, he aimed at the red eye slightly hidden under the white shell. Gravedrill positioned one tentacle in front of it before he could shoot.

" _Is that so?_ "

A tentacle swatted him into a tree, depleting the Shield's battery by one third. A nearby Ursa wanted to bite his head off, but Braylon shoved Striker's barrel into its mouth and killed it first. The Gravedrill jumped as it did back at the port. Braylon ran into safety, letting the Grimm destroy the tree and go underground. It was so frustrating.

Waiting patiently for it to reappear on the surface, the Vault Hunter shot and killed the few remaining Grimm. The earth erupted somewhere close. It was already out, screeching loudly. He spun around.

It waited for him to come close. Braylon ran towards Gravedrill, towards its eye. He had to duck under a tentacle and jump above another, before he could shoot the eye without interruptions. It shrieked in a high-pitched voice as its eye exploded huge amounts of blood. The Gravedrill fell on the ground like a tree. It was dead.

More Grimm were about to arrive. It was like a never-ending army. Nothing to be worried about. He had lots of ammunition… and a wrath to unleash.

* * *

 **First chapter in and there is already action. The first arc of Volume 2 official** **l** **y begins! Unlike all previous arcs, this one will be a bit longer, like four or five chapters long. I will try to compress it into four chapters, but I am not really sure how. Hopefully my mind will come up with something. Such is the price of improvising everything on the spot.**

 **When I wrote this chapter I realized the Grimm emit black smoke in the show when wounded. I then said screw it and decided to leave them with guts and blood. Makes them more interesting imo.**

 **About Gravedrill. This one is actually a funny story. I was hitting my head trying to come up with a new Grimm, something that would be interesting and monstrous and so on. I gave up and continued writing. Gravedrill came completely spontaneously, though it had different design. I imagined it to be like a turtle with the head of a mole and a drill on top of the shell. The second form had the drill be a Grimm on its own, much like that parasitic Grimm in the manga that fused multiple King Taijitu and turned them into a hydra. The one in the story is the third version that evolved from the second (the drill part). Hopefully I will come up with more designs in the future.**

 **Lastly, those who read the previous story probably got flashbacks when they read the description of Braylon's new toy; the Leviathan. That's because this weapon is actually a remake of the old Boreas. Not gonna lie, I like how one reader commented about the Bolter. Well, the standard ammo really makes it similar to a Bolter from Warhammer. Things will change with Dust-based ammo and it won't be pretty.**

* * *

 **New item** **a** **cquired!**

 **Item #1:** Vault Hunter'sLeviathan

- **Pearlescent/Unique** item

\- **"Apocalypse can kiss my ass."** (High rate of fire, increased Damage, accuracy decreases with distance)

\- Normal ammunition deals Explosive damage

\- Dust-based ammunition has different effects on rockets/grenades

\- Rockets deal piercing damage (enemies with armor receive as much damage as armorless would)

\- Eats up ammo quickly

\- Ammunition is scarce

\- Can be used outside of Remnant (but can use only normal ammo)

\- **Rocket Launcher mode:** Leviathan fires rockets, up to four rockets can be loaded and fired (additional rocket deals additional damage)

\- **Grenade Launcher mode:** Leviathan fires grenades (grenade types change with ammo)

* * *

 **Item #2:** Vault Hunter's Bumblebee

\- **Pearlescent/Unique** item

\- **"...Sting like a bumblebee!"** (High Shield battery, Shield recharge as fast as The Bee)

\- At full battery, Bumblebee adds Amplify damage to attacks (zero shot drain)

\- When depleted, user receives a speed boost (runs and reloads faster) as well as increased Melee Damage for a brief period of time (Shield recharges after the effect wears off)

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **1) HWM:** Holo Ripper, Holo Sabre, Holo Claw

 **2) Pistol:** Energy Pistol, Unforgiven

 **3) Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **4) Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear

 **5) Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **6) Rocket Launcher:** Nukem, Leviathan

 **7) Energy Weapons:** Excalibastard, Vulcan, Fornax

 **8) Remnant-only:** Vulcan

 **9) Shield:** Bumblebee

 **10) Artifact/Class mod:** Song of Malevolence

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***** **Entry #74:** Ursa Major

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _Whats better than something that can take a lot of punishment before going down? That something only bigger and with armor to boot. Ursa Major is an evolved version of the normal Ursa, also called Ursa Minor. This Grimm is an even bigger threat than normal, because it twice as strong as an Ursa Minor. You can thank Anathema that it is a rare toy. Not many Ursa get to live to achieve that upgrade._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #75:** Creep

 **Type:** Grimm

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _When we were making the Grimm, one question bothered us relentlessly; what kind of creature could be enough of a pain that should never be underestimated, yet looks so dumb and weak that mortals will always fall for that meme? This is where Creeps came from. At first glance, it may be nothing special. Just something that looks like it had seen better days, correct? Well, this subspecies is the reason why many mortal settlements fell in the past. You will find a Creep in its own pack or in a group of mixed siblings. In the former case, the size of the pack alone takes the "quantity is a quality of its own" proverb to a whole new level. In latter, they act as dogs, sniffing out mortals and warning everyone else about them._ "

* * *

 ******* **Entry #76:** Alpha Creep

 **Type:** Grimm

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _Alpha Creeps are something completely different from Alpha Beowolves._ _In a Beowolf pack, you will find only one Alpha and it will be the strongest Beowolf. A pack of Creeps can have multiple Alphas. They don't lead other Creeps. They act on their own, being intelligent enough to do so. A common Creep will run straight at you, without thinking there may be a trap nearby. An Alpha Creep will use others as distraction to run around your defenses and kill you without being noticed. When they have to fight, they are much more aggressive and won't let you take a break until you kill them. Anything stronger than a fist should easily kill it, as it still falls under the weakling category. Disgusting creatures._ "

* * *

 ******** **Entry #77:** Rotbreath

 **Type:** Grimm – Beast – Hero

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _An undead Grimm. Someone is really scratching the bottom of the barrel, eh? I wasn_ _'t even sure Grimm could do that. Unless the Grimm wasn't even dead to begin with. Not sure it matters anymore._ "

* * *

 ********* **Entry #78:** Death Stalker

 **Type:** Grimm – Insect

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _Death Stalkers normally hide in caves, waiting to grow and develop. You will rarely see this type of Grimm before it reaches "adulthood". There is a reason behind this. Once they grow big enough, they are unstoppable. You can forget guns then. Nothing short of armor-piercing attacks will kill it. Of course, you can hit its belly but that is unlikely._ _The Death Stalkers belong to the "heavy hitters" category of Grimm, the ones you should run away from really fast._ "

* * *

 ********** **Entry #79:** Gravedrill

 **Type:** Grimm

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _I personally like this one. Imagine, a group of mortals thinking they are safe behind their walls, when suddenly a Gravedrill digs a tunnel from below and kills them all. Maybe they learn the lesson, so they reinforce the floor with additional materials. No problem, for Gravedrill can jump_ _up to a hundred meters in the air, only to descend with the speed of an asteroid. You know, death from above and all that. A perfect machine for a genocide or two, the Gravedrill functions both in water and on the ground. It is immune to any kind of damage, save for the eye, which will protected at all costs. Indeed, the eye is so fragile that, should it suffer any kind of damage, the Gravedrill will die instantly. A glass cannon, in short._


	29. And Hell Followed

(Titan Quest: Ragnarök - Asgard)

About an hour after they separated, members of team JNPR regrouped and killed the last Grimm present in their surroundings. They returned to the road, convinced they would find Braylon waiting for them. One more hour had to pass before they could hear his voice echoing in the forest. Replying with a shout of their own, the students of Beacon Academy found the Vault Hunter in a state worse than before they had landed. He wasn't injured heavily. His eyes looked tired and he begged them to keep quiet about it, insisting they had to go forward without further delay.

The road led towards another hill, much bigger and larger than the previous one. The whole island was, in fact, gifted with hills and valleys between each, where flora and fauna spread far and wide, untouched by Humanity. There was even a mountain out of their reach. As they walked, Braylon checked out said mountain, squinting when he noticed a brief flash of light from somewhere near the snow-covered top. The whole thing made him shudder. They arrived at a small cluster of houses, abandoned and left to rot. Each house was ransacked. Nothing but furniture was left. Even the doors were missing, in some cases.

"Looks like someone took the opportunity to profit from the tragedy of others." Braylon acknowledged. "This must've been the place where those people lived."

"That's horrible." Jaune grimaced. "Who could've done something like this?"

"If we knew, we wouldn't be here." Seeing how Pyrrha looked at him he quickly added: "But I bet it was the same person who... killed all those people."

"What if there were more than just one?" Ren asked. "I fail to see how could one person bring so many people with them and on such a long distance."

"Something's not right here." Braylon added. "Why would anyone kill so many people away from their homes? And in that port of all places." He came to the idea of checking the topographic map of the island through internet sources. But for some reason, his PDA warned him that it was impossible. No signal. It even freezed for a few seconds. " _Hmm... that's a first._ Hey, does anyone mind using their Scrolls for some internet surfing?"

"Strange." Pyrrha murmured. "No signal."

"Same here."

"No signal!"

"Nothing, I'm afraid."

Braylon frowned. "Jamming." That got their attention. "Someone, or something, is blocking the signal on this island, meaning we are stuck here until we find the jammers."

"Just great." Jaune whined. "I've got us all into trouble."

The Vault Hunter turned around, following the road with his eyes. " _They aren't joking this time. If they were able to jam my PDA, then what else can they do? That ritual attracted Grimm at the port, making a perfect disguise for unsuspecting victims. What if other Huntsmen came here before us? Where are they now? Fuck, shit just got real._ " After Pyrrha said how it wasn't Jaune's fault, Braylon turned around and asked them if they knew anything about the island and its inhabitants.

"I've searched about this place on the internet at Beacon." Jaune rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I think there should be a big town somewhere around here. Can't remember where, though."

"Then our only option is to follow the road and see what happens."

Not long after they left the houses, the group of Huntsmen-in-Training found a valley. It was surrounded on all sides by other hills of various sizes. The road led to a village surrounded with a makeshift stockade made of wood, where purpose was more important than aesthetics. It went through, then left, seemingly at the mountain itself.

"Gods..." Jaune muttered.

Braylon understood Jaune's bewilderment. The valley was nothing short of chaos given form. Where trees once grew proud from the dirt below, now stood dozens of stumps, left to rot under the sun and rain. The road to the mountain was populated with craters and trenches that no longer could fulfill their purpose. Emerald green grass was replaced with soot and drought and scorched earth. Even the village, if someone could call it that, was a dark and horrible sight. Braylon's PDA inserted the old textbook pictures of favelas in his memories. Only this looked even worse.

"Did a war break out in here?" He tried to joke, only to meet glares that told him how it was uncalled for. "Sorry I said anything... jeez..."

"We must go down there and find out what happened." The blonde knight ordered with some confidence Braylon never thought he had, probably because of the sight.

"Hell no." Braylon refused.

"What? Why?"

"Maybe you need glasses. Do you see this place? Whatever happened, it was huge. Everyone could be dead as far as we know."

"We will never find out if we don't go."

"And what if the same person, or people, are waiting for us? What if it is an ambush?"

"We can defend ourselves." Jaune was baffled.

"Can you kill?"

"What?" He looked like someone slapped him, just like his teammates.

"If you can kill a man, then there's no problem. But if you can't..." He grimaced.

"And you can?" Pyrrha asked.

He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"We came here to help." Jaune insisted.

"Nu-uh. Maybe you" Braylon pointed at Jaune "came to help. I came to see what's going on around here before I pack my bags and leave this Grimm-infested hellhole."

Jaune's fists tightened. Looks like I tocuhed a nerve, Braylon thought.

"All right." Braylon rolled his eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Let's go."

(Resident Evil 2 – The Basement of Police Station)

They reached the front gate, guarded by a man on a small tower not far from it. The man's eyes widened when he saw them, their dash prompting him to grab his rifle and start yelling. In a few seconds a woman jumped out from behind the stockade. She had light blue shoulder length hair and lime green eyes. She was ready to use her weapons, two sickle-like blades, when she suddenly lowered her guard.

"False alarm." She said as the group of teenagers reached them. "It was a false alarm. These aren't monsters. Thanks for the heads-up though."

"No problem, Miss Azuli."

"Wait! We come-"

"I know you come in peace, blond boy. You'd be dead if you didn't."

"Oh."

"Name's Azuli. I'm a Huntress."

It was safe to say that Azuli liked to draw attention of men. Her "combat gear" was designed to expose her skin, muscles, breasts and legs. Not too much, but enough to make someone wish for more. She actually smirked when she noticed how Jaune and Ren blushed, to large variations. That smirk died down when her eyes fell on Braylon, who deadpanned.

"That's... um..." Jaune coughed in his fist before introducing everyone.

"So what made you come in this gods-forsaken place?"

"We heard something strange was going on on this island. You lost contact with the outside world, so we came here to help you out as much as we can."

Azuli chuckled and shook her head. "My team wanted to do that too."

"Wanted?"

"They're all dead. If they are lucky."

Everyone could hear Jaune gulping.

"Just like the guys before them. And the team before that... you get the point."

"Are you serious? How many Huntsmen came here?"

"Doesn't matter. We'll all be dead soon."

"Why?" Braylon asked.

"Come in. See for yourself." She gestured to the man to open the gate. The group followed her closely behind, getting a clear view of the village. Everywhere they looked they saw scared children, worried parents or silent old people. Clothes were hanging from some windows and pets ran around without a care in their mind. They passed by a small clearing where a pile of corpses burned. It wasn't normal fire. It was aetherial green and smokeless. And while others stared at the fire that gave no heat, yet burned like a normal fire would, Braylon couldn't believe what his eyes told him; that those corpses were something that God himself would find disgusting. It couldn't be natural, for their appearance strongly reminded him of the creatures the Flesh Artists unleashed on him back then. Only more grotesque, more disturbing, at the limits of human nature. What depraved mind could brew such a monstrosity that was the living antithesis of aesthetics as understood by Humanity? More importantly, does it have to do with the discovery at the port? Azuli waved at the two men near the fire.

"Like the view? You'll get used to it. There's lots of that around here."

While travelling around Remnant thus far, Braylon couldn't help but think about the whole situation. First there was that demon in the graveyard, then the one in the Forever Fall and now, definitely, here. What was the purpose? Were they trying to locate the Maidens? Not very successful at that. He was sure the voice knew what he was doing, thanks to that thrice-cursed sign. It would probably watch him as if he was putting on a show for it. He was smart enough to doubt some pieces of the narrative it gave to him, being a creature that hates mortalkind and all, but it was all he had at the moment. Uncertainty has recently grew about it all. The whole thing was sketchy. Maybe this was yet another distraction from the real objective. Maybe not. Regardless, he needed to stop whatever plan the demons had in store for Remnant.

"What was that?" He asked Azuli.

"Something you'll be seeing around here." She led them to a small office where she sat behind a wooden table and sighed loudly. It was a sigh overflowing with a kind of tiredness that sleep couldn't fix. "I tell you, greenhorns are the last thing I need right now. You want me to die with your deaths on my consciousness?" She leaned on the table, making sure her chest could be seen. "Which year?"

"First." Jaune replied timidly.

"So you really are greenhorns." She nodded. "Well. You are useless. To me or everyone else."

JNPR didn't like that comment. Pyrrha and Nora liked Azuli even less.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Nora huffed.

"Sweetie, did you see what was burning there? Does it look like a Grimm to you?"

"Nora." Ren put a hand on her shoulder. She turned her angry gaze at him, which made him back off.

"But..." Braylon played dumb. "What was that... those things?"

"I don't know." She leaned back on her chair. "What I know is they are unwilling to give up destroying this place."

"When was the first contact with the things?"

"My team came here few weeks ago. We reached this village after fending off some Grimm. Stuck here ever since. Well, not exactly. We, me and my team, came right when those damn monsters started attacking. Stopped the assault, barely. Went to find where were they coming from. Only I came back."

"What happened to your teammates?"

"Dead. If they are lucky. Sometimes I have nightmares about them, you know? Nothing that sharing a bed with someone for the night can't fix." She glanced at Jaune and smiled. He became as red as a tomato.

"Can you stop that?" Pyrrha countered at the blatant display.

"Why? You two lovebirds?" She laughed when she saw Pyrrha's face.

"You better be careful how you talk to my friends."

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, blond body?"

"Stay on the subject." Braylon exploded with tranquil fury. "How did you kill them?"

"Dismember them. Any limb will do. Bullets to the head or chest are a waste, unless they explode. If you see some strange crystals you can easily hit, focus on that instead. Instant death."

He frowned. "Crystals?"

"Best if I show you." Azuli stood up and went out. Following her, Braylon and team JNPR came to a small cabin near the stockade. At first sight, it was nothing special. Just a typical cabin made of wood. That's when the group was able to sense the smell. Everyone felt their stomach turning upside-down, especially Braylon who had enhanced senses. He was used to horrible smells on the battlefield, but even this was way too much. It was like the place was littered with plague-infested corpses.

"The stench of death." Azuli commented to the painful groans behind her. She endured it better than others. "Always present when they are around." She knocked on the cabin door, then opened it. "Hello, four eyes."

Inside the cabin the teenagers found three tables, one for each corpse. Some scattered notes and documents were laying on the ground. A man in a lab coat stopped writing down something and turned around. "Oh, it's you." He quickly got up from a mattress in the corner and reached Azuli. Braylon noticed a rusty table with a chemistry set and a microscope on the other side of the room. Even the equipment was somewhat filthy or old-looking.

"Meet the new meat shields." She chuckled slightly, as if the situation was funny in any way. Probably a psychological trick to stop herself from falling into the darkness that is a frail psyche. The man gave his hand to each teenager, saying his name was "Taupher".

"Show 'em the monsters."

"Sure. Come." JNPR and Braylon came near the tables. Taupher pointed at two bodies. "For the sake of making things easier, we'll call these two Troopers*, because they are the most common type. The third..."

"How about Abomination?" Braylon offered.

"Any objections? No? Abomination it is." Taupher coughed in his fist. "So... I've done some research with the tools I have here. Nothing. I found no anomalies on the molecular level, except for decaying blood cells. This led me to believe that this... things... are clinically dead. I took tissue samples, I tried to study their anatomy as best as I could, but it's pointless. The one on your left had its inner organs taken out. The one on your right had them in places where they shouldn't be. What I do know is their "rank"."

Taupher pointed at the Abomination. "See how different this one is from the other two? It's somewhat bulkier and has two blades made of bone for hands, obviously for close combat. The troopers don't have that. They have one hand-weapon for close combat and one hand replaced with this small cannon made of iron, although I have no idea how they use it. So on the micro level, there is nothing strange. But on the macro level..." He grabbed a nearby lamp and brought it close to a corpse. "Notice the skin. Looks like paper when you crunch it in your hand, right? That's because the skin is melted together, not sewn. Just like muscles, which explains the deformities."

Groans escaped from JNPR. Braylon kept listening.

"Okay, I'll focus on something else." He pointed at the head of one of the Troppers, at some pitch black stone that stuck out like a sore thumb. "This thing right here is very, very interesting. This is a crystal of a type I've never seen in my life. When these things are "alive", it glows with some greenish color. That color fades once the crystals are either destroyed or the things are dead. It should be obvious to you that they are batteries of sorts, but..." He shrugged. "I don't know. Every piece I try to remove from the body crumbles into dust. So we just burn the bodies. I'm sure you've noticed how that turns out. It's really hard not to."

Braylon pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "Dear God, it's so much to take in. Can you give us a room for the day? I bet my friends here think the same, right guys?" A loud gurgling sound came from one of them. "Do you have any food while we're at it? Please? _I fucking hate my life._ "

* * *

The Vault Hunter offered to take the role of an additional guard during the night shift, as a way to express his gratitude for the food and beds the locals provided. It was a lie that couldn't be far from the truth. In reality, he did this because he became extremely paranoid the moment he saw that fire. A pair of demonic hands were behind it all, he was sure of it. Maybe the first one he encountered on Remnant came back for revenge, along with its followers.

And they already prepared an army.

" _What the fuck do I do now? How can I get out of this?_ " He thought as he drank water from a bottle. He heard footsteps. Someone was coming up.

"Hi there." It was Azuli.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She chuckled. "Nobody can. Not even your friends. Everyone thinks an attack might happen soon."

"Can't blame them."

"...You're hiding something, aren't you?" She asked bluntly after some minutes of silence. Braylon coughed due to spitting out all the water.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw the look on your face when you watched those corpses. Told me more than I needed to know."

"So you think I'm hiding something just because of my face?"

"Everyone looked like they might vomit. You were pissed off. Like when you really hate someone."

"Is that so?" He took another sip and sighed.

"You know what those things are?"

"Yes."

"Did... did they appear somewhere else on Remnant?" She asked with a hint of hesitance.

"No, as far as I know."

"Then how?"

He looked at her. She still wore her attire from earlier. "You sure you want to know?"

"I've been in the middle of a real life zombie apocalypse for weeks now. Cut me some slack."

"Even if I want to, I can't. You might spread it around."

"Is it a secret?"

"A secret I'my trying to keep from public knowledge, yes."

"Why though?"

" _Argh! Women!_ Mass hysteria mostly... and suicides. Definitely mass suicides."

"Whoa. Now you got me interested." She smiled mischieviously.

"Want the soft truth or the hard truth first?"

"The hardest one. I can take it."

"Alright then. You a believer?"

"Yup. Brothers Grimm."

" _Fucking seriously!? Their gods are called "_ _Brothers_ _Grimm"?_ _What's next? A frog prince? W_ _hatever!_ Wait, you mean..."

"Please don't tell me you never heard of them."

"Why?"

"Maybe 'cause they are known all over Remnant?"

" _Ah... "them"_. I remember now, yes. Alright." He coughed slightly and leaned on a fence. They were both on a small watchtower. "Your gods are false. They are actually two entities who work for an evil force that seeks to destroy the multiverse. _Or so I've been told..._ " He dropped the truth with such nonchalantness that Azuli just stared at him.

"...Is that it?"

"Sorry?"

"You have proof of your claims? I'll punch you if you lie." He shoved her the marked hand. "Nice tattoo you got there. Your point?"

"This is the sign of the evil I'm speaking of. Right now I am working for one of them for-"

"Them?"

"Demons."

"What's a demon?"

" _Right. Different reality._ A creature far beyond human comprehension. It has no physical body, so we can't perceive them. They can make one for themselves, though it's usually some kind of a monster. You'll recognize one when you start feeling a type of fear you've never felt before." Her eyes widened slightly. "I guess you are familiar with it?"

"I... every time I see one of those creatures you saw at Taupher's, I get this urge to run away. I get the goosebumps just thinking about it."

"They are merely one of their creations. Definitely made from human cadavers."

"That's so messed up."

Braylon spent half an hour telling her everything he knew, including his arival on Remnant. The way he dropped the truth, without any care for the imminent emotional breakdown of his listener, was far worse than anything he could sugarcoat or tell in a much nicer tone. He told her about Hell, about the Grimm, about Faunus and their soulless state. She was skeptical at first, as every sane person would. A stranger dropping out of nowhere and telling someone that their beliefs, their worldviews and the way they saw the creatures that plagued Remnant were wrong all along? Who could do otherwise? In order to prove his words, he told her to touch the marked hand. The cursed smybol did not give her any proof that would confirm his story. However, it gave her brief glimpses of Hell itself. Flashes and sounds and smells that traumatized her, as evidenced by her scream.

"Fuck." Braylon cursed silently. "Keep it down, will you?"

"What... what was..."

Her eyes were saucers and her face pale as snow. A face that reminded him of his reaction when he was first exposed to all of that. How could he ever forget?

"What's happening?!" Shouted a man below.

"Nothing." Braylon replied. "We thought we saw those things in the dark. It's kinda creepy, to be honest."

"Ugh. Don't scare others like that, okay?"

"Yes."

As if on clue, Braylon rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration. When he moved his head to actually check the darkness outside the haven, there was a faint glow in the distance, on top of a hill, that caught his attention. Fearing the worst, he materialized Omni-Cannon and used the scope. Three Troopers were slowly moving downhill. Those three quickly became twenty.

"Shit! Everyone!" He shouted as loud as he could. "Monsters! Monsters!"

It didn't take long for the lights to appear on every house window he could see. Men with weapons quickly ran out from their homes, ready to defend the last piece of land they had. Azuli was sitting in a corner, unmoving. Someone asked him what did he see.

"Troopers. Twenty. Might be more."

Curses were thrown around from those who looked like they saw some actual fights, complete with armor and all.

"Where's Azuli?"

"Here. She... can't help?"

"Why?!"

"Wait!" He shook her. "Azuli, wake up! The town's in danger."

"I don't care... I don't care..."

"Listen to me! Do you want these people to suffer by the hands of those monstrosities? Do you?"

"I..."

"What about the children? If their fathers die tonight, who will take care of them?"

She shook her head.

"Listen, very carefully. If we don't stop them right here, right now, they are going to spread all over Remnant. Then it will truly be over. Do you want that?"

"No...?"

"Then take your weapons and fight, for fuck's sake! No time to act depressed!" She nodded once and stood up. "I'll try to take some down from here."

(Project Warlock – Main Theme)

Turning around, he aimed with his sniper rifle. He saw dozens of aetherial green dots in the darkness, each more horrifying than the last. It was easier for him, for those lights were equal to someone pointing a target at themselves that could be seen from miles away. Remembering Azuli's story about how she killed them, the Vault Hunter picked off various Troopers, always with different outcomes. Some went down after one limb was severed. Others had to loose both their head and something else to finally drop dead. Those who didn't die with headshots had their crystal clusters blown apart. Each time he destroyed said crystals, he could see a faint greenish steam that immediately evaporated. An Abomination or two were killed from time to time, as the horde became increasingly bigger. He heard a cannon firing from the roof of a home and a gatling from another watch tower.

" _This isn't working. The moment I kill one, two more take its place. What the fuck is that?_ "

A group of Troopers on top of the hill was suddenly smacked away by a wave of aetherial green explosion. It was caused by a tall, humanoid creature that reminded him of a Flesh Artist. It had an additional head growing from the left cheek, stuck in a scream while the main face had a perpetual, teethless frown. The eyes were nothing but two cyan pinpricks. One hand twisted into a pincer, the other just a mass of mutated, glowing flesh where those wretched crystals the size of an arm grew like mushrooms in a forest. Two clusters of crystals grew on its shoulders. The legs looked like they were struck with elephantiasis, covered in disgusting green blisters. **

He fired one shot at it's head, which exploded into a mass of aetherial green blood and flesh. But it still kept moving forward, uncaring that it just lost a vital limb. Why should it when a large tentacle grew to replace it?

For the first time he fought the demons, he didn't feel fear. Or precisely, he did feel fear but it was to a much lesser extent than before. A new emotion sprawled from within him. It was anger. A type of anger that delighted itself when he pulled the trigger again, hurting the new creature by blowing away one leg. It told him: kill, kill, kill! Make it suffer!

This one wasn't like fear. Fear would be a physical impediment whenever he faced a demon. He was sure it could even block him from daring to move a finger, if pushed enough. This was not the case with anger. While he certainly felt it just by looking at one of those deformed hellspawn, it felt like a secondary, more nagging, emotion. It was more akin to a suicidal fly that kept pestering a short-tempered human. The strange mix of fear and anger made his head spin a little, but it wasn't enough to keep him out of the battlefield, as proved when he finally killed the creature. It was a sadistic kind of anger.

The number of monsters began decreasing, though it didn't stop the brave men from going out and take the battle to them. It was a full-blown guerilla warfare that would make the siege of Stalingrad look like chamomile tea. A group of paesants that had never seen war before, with improvised weapons that even the most ill-equipped armies would find embarassing, were the only thing that stopped a horde of nightmare-inducing beings from escaping the island. Still, those rusty shovels, those pathetic pickaxes, those laughable hammers were, apparently, very effective in killing the Troopers. Abominations, that couldn't be killed with such tools, were taken down by those equipped with makeshift wooden crossbows, where arrows were replaced with small Dust-based explosives attached to wooden stakes with duct tape.

"Was that it?!" Braylon cried out after the last living Trooper fell.

"Not even close!" Someone below shouted. "That was just the warm-up!"

"Of course it was." He murmured tiredly. Team JNPR was outside the walls as well, near a sandbag wall.

Some villagers brought out a tiny mortar. It was mounted behind a tiny wall made of bricks. Few kids helped the adults by bringing the ammunition as fast as they could. The wounded were immediately taken care of by Taupher and a young woman whom Braylon didn't knew. For twenty minutes straight everything was silent as much as a graveyard, despite the battle. A bright, aetherial green fog that enveloped the top of the hill marked the end of their collective rest.

"What the hell is that..." Braylon wondered out loud. He didn't like that fog. It gave him goosebumps.

(Doom 2 – Opening To Hell)

A cacophony of spectral wails brought everyone out of their comfort zone. Braylon noticed how some villagers became visibly worried. Team JNPR was fidgeting behind their cover and Braylon prepared himself to kill whatever came next.

He looked through the scope.

There was an outline.

" _A deer? No... wait..._ " More outlines could be seen coming out of the fog. All of them were animal-looking. Deers, wolves, rabbits... critters that belonged in a forest. What could possibly demons do with those? The answer became obvious when the animals began flying, when he could see them for what they truly were.

"Ghosts?!" Braylon cried out loud. "What the fuck?! Animal ghosts?!"

They were ghosts indeed, or they took the semblance of such. He could only see the frontal part of their bodies as they flew, bearing the same colors as that wretched fog. Everything else was hidden behind an aetherial green veil of smoke. ***

" _How am I supposed to kill ghosts?!_ "

"Fire, fire, godsdamn it!" Someone shouted. The spectral chorus sang its cry once more before splitting apart, each individual for themselves, making it harder for the villagers to hit. Meanwhile, more Troopers and Abominations came out of the fog, along with three of that two-faced monstrosity Braylon killed before.

From there, everything became a chaotic mess. The real battle had begun. All that solidarity, all that cohesion humans should have in a war was gone in an instant. The demons managed to spread confusion and panic among the enemy. Some attacked the ground units, Braylon and others were occupied with the animal ghosts that constantly roamed the skies, screeching like a banshee. The Vault Hunter saw one of the ghosts fastly approaching a villager. There was nothing he could do to save them, for when the ghost passed through their chest, the villager shook violently, shouted and fell. God only knew what happened to them.

Braylon gasped when he saw that same ghost going for him. Without thinking, he fired a shot with his Omni-Cannon. It screamed once more before dissolving into harmless steam. He now knew they could be hurt.

* * *

Pyrrha and Ren, remembering how to deal with the Troopers, did their best to destroy the crystals, already taking down three. Nora bombarded the field with her grenade launcher. Jaune charged at the nearest Trooper, stabbing it into the chest. He gasped as the monster staggered for a moment, before smacking the human away with its mace-like hand. It growled, ready to deliver the final blow.

"Jaune!" His partner shouted. Raising her shield, she defended her leader from the attack. Pyrrha replied by stabbing the crystals on its head, killing it. "Are you alright?"

"Y... yes..." Jaune shook his head. Like his team, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. A terrible fear embraced his very being every time he saw one monster. Same with his teammates, but he guessed they were a bit braver than him. Pyrrha smiled as she helped him stand up.

"Thanks." He quickly nodded, then grabbed the sword, cringing. "This is a nightmare."

"Agreed." Pyrrha nodded. "But we are Huntsmen-in-training. We must help these people whatever the cost."

"I'm not sure I can help myself. These things freak me out."

"Watch out!"

She pushed Jaune away, saving him from an attack of an Abomination. A stake pierced its head, exploding. It was dead.

"Holy..." Jaune didn't have time to finish his profanity. Yet another Trooper reached him, trying to pierce his chest with its blade-arm. He thanked the gods for having a shield. Swinging awkwardly, Jaune cut its head off. "Damn it! That was close..."

Pyrrha screamed.

JNPR's leader turned around, frightened. He saw his partner on her knees, seething in pain. A Trooper used its weapon to fire at her. "Pyrrha!" Jaune defended her with his shield from another shot, allowing Nora and Ren to take care of the Trooper. He took her in his arms. "Are you alright? Pyrrha!"

"I'm... I'm fine..."

"Nora, Ren! I'm taking Pyrrha back!"

The duo soundlessly agreed to follow their leader, defeating every monster that dared to come close. At one point, however, they encountered another type of creature. It looked like an armless human toddler, standing on its two legs. The ashen-colored skin wasn't even as terrifying as its head; a jack-o'-lantern with an expressionless face. Aetherial green fire roared out from the missing stem and top. It babbled in a high pitched voice as it shook its head, releasing tiny green fireballs at JNPR. These fireballs exploded like tiny grenades at their feet. ****

Ren fired two shots at its head. The bullets went through the head. "Bwahba?" The creature cried out. "Bah-bwawa! Bwa! Bwa!" It threw more fireballs at them.

"We must move!" Ren shouted. "Nora!"

"On it!"

Nora turned her grenade launcher into a hammer and brought it down on the tiny abomination. However, it exploded upon death, injuring her.

"Nora!" Ren had to take care of his partner now. There was nobody left to help them.

"Damn it! I'm sorry!" He repeated at the unconscious ginger in his arms as he and Jaune ran. "I'm so sorry!"

"I don't understand, shouldn't our Auras defend us?!"

"I don't know!" Ren and Jaune reached the walls. "Open, please! Let us in!"

* * *

The situation worsened by the minute. Braylon defeated four of the animal-like ghosts. Many more were flying above the village, going through the roofs to attack the unsuspecting civilians. He also killed what seemed to be an armless human with a jack-o'-lantern for a head, which left scorched earth behind itself after the explosion. The invader's numbers were dwindling, yes, but at a much slower pace than before.

Team JNPR was out of the game for the moment, as were some villagers. Those still capable of fighting retreated back behind the walls, letting the gatling take care of the remaining monsters. They had to inspect each house in order to destroy every animal ghost still alive. It was impressive how such a conflict ended in such a short amount of time, with piles of dead meat from both sides. The fog was still present. Even after all creatures were massacred. Braylon didn't like it.

" _That road seems to lead to the city, up on the mountain. Is it safe to say that they come from there? I have to find out. But how?"_ Braylon looked at the villagers from his watch tower. He doubted they would notice anything if he left. It's JNPR he was worried about. He wanted to go alone. If he told them that, they would almost certainly follow him. If he kept it a secret, his absence would end in hysteria. It would be worse when he would come back. If he would come back. " _Do I help these people fending off the assault? Or do I go while they are all distracted?_ "

As much as he would hate himself for doing it, he had to tell them where he would go and what he would do. That way, he would probably deflect most of the topics he refused to share with others. With a tired sigh and a lot of regret, he jumped down from the watchtower and went to see his colleagues, team JNPR.

"What happened to them?"

"They got hit. By those monsters." Jaune replied as he sat on a chair, near Pyrrha's bed. Ren walked back and forth. "I made a mistake."

"Didn't we all by accepting this crappy job?"

Jaune didn't reply. For being just friends, he was really worried about his partner, much like in a couple. At least, that's what Braylon thought about couples. He wasn't really lucky when it came to love. Lots of bad memories from that.

"I'm going." Braylon said bluntly. Ren and Jaune looked at him.

"Where?"

"These things probably come from the town in the mountains. If I can get there, I can find what creates these monsters and hopefully destroy it."

"And you want to go alone?" Ren asked, perplexed.

"That's my intention, yes."

"I can't let you do that." Jaune said as he stood up.

" _I knew it._ Why?"

"Because I'm going with you."

"What?" Braylon made a face as if he heard a joke.

"I am the leader. I made a mistake." He pointed at Pyrrha. "I caused this. And I can fix it."

"By getting yourself killed?"

"I brought us all into this mess! If anything, I should be the one going there alone."

" _Christ. I hate the emotional types so fucking much._ " Braylon pinched the bridge of his nose."These aren't Grimm, Jaune. They can hurt real bad. Are you even aware of what you are talking right now? Maybe you should just sit down and have some time off..."

"I will go there. With or without you."

"It's suicide, I tell you."

"And for you isn't?"

"I..." Braylon cringed slightly, rubbing the side of his head. He was walking on thin ice there."...I can make it. I'm not new at going solo. And, and who will care for them? Do you want them to be here? What if the monsters come while we're gone?"

"I'm sure these pople can handle it. They did go so far, no?"

" _You stupid... fucking..._ Alright! Damn it, alright! We three will go together. If you die, your problem."

"I won't die."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I still have people to protect."

Their conversation stopped when they heard a bell outside, followed by a loud "monsters!". The three teenagers looked at each other before running outside. They asked a nearby villager what was going on. He replied that monsters were coming. "Again?" Braylon complained. "Fu... I'll be on the watchtower!" And with that, the Vault Hunter reached the same spot as before, ready to bring down any beast those demons prepared for them all.

The fog became thicker. It was now impossible to see what came through, even with the sniper rifle's scope. He didn't really need to see, if we have to be honest. All the clues he needed were already there, in front of him. It was loud. It was mechanical. It reeked of rotten flesh.

And it was really, really big.

* * *

 **(This is also an answer to TheBroJo)** **Yes, I've seen the new episodes. No, I won't follow that bullshit. I'll probably make it more grimdark, if I can. I'm sure I can somehow fuck this up even further.**

 **Anyways, next chapter will probably be even bigger than this one. Maybe 10.000 words big. It all depends if I want four or five chapters for the arc.**

 **Like the monsters? I made them specifically for this arc and this arc alone. But wait, there's more!... in the next chapter, that is.**

 **Please leave a comment and share the story with your friends. Let's see if we can make an even bigger audience. Also, thank you all for following this story. I really appreciate your effort and time spent reading it. We are soon reach the one year anniversary so stay tuned!**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #80:** Aetherial Trooper

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Behold, a dead body, not undead, that acts like a wooden marionette on strings. But who is the puppeteer? Who moves this dead meat? The answer lies in those crystal clusters. Each crystal contains an imprisoned Condemned,_ _who returns back here as soon as the crystal is destroyed. So, are Condemned the puppeteer? Of course not. It's the wrath and despair and hatred that moves the creature; this dead body, not undead, that can think and act like a living being! But then why it is so savage, so brutal, so mindless? Because of the mentioned emotions, converted into raw energy. Yes, the Condemned souls are nothing but fuel generators. And how do we force them to produce this fuel? By gathering the most vile of them into a cluster, where none can even think of cooperation, stuck in a permanent struggle for the vessel they were promised to receive, should they overcome others stuck with them. Nothing but an empty promise. So then, what degenerate mind can create such an abomination that even Anathema finds disgusting? There's only one type of beings who can do that. One that is even more deprave_ _d than the Flesh Artists..._ " (Deals bonus aetherial damage)

* * *

 ****** **Entry #81:** Fleshmender

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Sense freaks are something I just can't stand. How to describe someone so obsessed with such trivial matters? More importantly, how can one define a sadist who indulges in sensory overloads?_ _You mortals will never be able to comprehend how outright evil my brothers can be. Fleshmenders are a great example of that. Their physical bodies, made of dead meat, are further enhanced with those crystals. However, they let the Condemned be aware of the body's state, yet leave them unable to control it. Think of your eyes. You can see, but they move on their own. Painful, isn't it? As if that isn't enough, whenever the body is damaged, the Condemned souls feel twice as more pain, while a brother will feel everything except pain. They are responsible for making these aether-infused monsters. Their signature is use of aether crystals_ _on everything they create._ " (Deals bonus aetherial damage)

* * *

 *****Entry #82:** Haunted

 **Type:** Aetherial

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _To an untrained mortal eye, they might look like ghosts. They are not. A Haunted is born when an animal carcass is exposed to residue of aetherial energy from Condemned souls. These quasi-solid beings lack any real intelligence or will, so they attack other living things in their surroundings. They can, however, be led by Fleshmenders like dogs on a leash. Don't let one touch you though. You won't like it._ " (Deals bonus aetherial damage)

* * *

 ******Entry #83:** Aetherial Pygmy

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _The best weapon is the one your enemy knows nothing about. Surprises in warfare are a prerequisite for victory. I'm sure this is why such a monster was created. It removes any possibilities of predicting an attack, since it has no arms. This leaves its targets with their guard down as it throws tiny aether-based explosives. Even its death is fatal for the enemy, as it explodes the moment it receives fatal wounds. A fine instrument, if you ask me, though it is a waste of perfectly good pumpkins._ " (deals bonus aetherial damage)


	30. Against All Odds

No one could imagine what was actually happening, not even the villagers. Jaune and his teammate ran through the tiny streets, intending to find out. Everyone whom they saw had a look of uncertainty or horror. What they thought, the duo did not know. Their ears picked up the sound of an engine running. It must have been a really big engine because it definitely wasn't close to the walls. "Where are we going?" Ren asked his team leader. Jaune opened his mouth to speak but closed it right after. It came to him that he really had no idea what was he supposed to do. Should they go out and fight, there would be the possibility of Ren ending up just like Pyrrha or Nora… or even worse. Jaune blinked and shook his head. It wasn't the time to think of such things. He had people to protect.

"We'll..." he said between breaths "we'll reach the gate… and..."

 _Boom._

They all heard it. A sound that came from the outside world. Jaune, startled, jumped like a scared cat. It was akin to something being fired. Silence reigned supreme for a moment as the sky quickly grew brighter, grew greener. He heard Ren shouting his name, before something pushed him violently to the ground. The ringing in his ears was louder than everything else. Luckily, he wasn't hurt. Ren helped his teammate stand up. Jaune failed to understand anything he tried to tell him. That ringing was still loud and his vision was kinda blurry. Why was everything glowing green all of a sudden? He couldn't see well but he noticed people panicking and running. Moments later, Jaune found out why were they all acting like this. A house was burning. Set on fire. Green fire.

* * *

The roar of the engines wasn't a good sign, Braylon thought as he climbed up the ladder. It meant one thing and one thing only; shit was about to get real. Hesitantly, he materialized his trusty Omni-Cannon and used its scope to check the hill. He spotted a large silhouette moving in the fog. The PDA tried to measure its distance and size based on what his eyes could see. But, when the thing became fully visible, his sniper rifle almost fell from his hands in utter terror. A storm of curses passed through his mind as he desperately tried to comprehend what he was looking at. He tried to give it a meaning, a shape and a name. He tried a lot. His brain, on the other hand, decided to shut down, thinking it had finally seen too much.

For a moment he though he was insane. That his mind broke after so much pressure and horror he endured for quite some time. Now that insanity manifested in a fusion of flesh and metal that a mortal was never meant to see. Deep down, however, he knew this was nothing but an attempt at rationalizing away the problem he had to face. Mortal reason was worthless in such situations, even deadly should it be in wrong hands. No, the best way he could describe it is the following; a giant machine that moved on tracks like a bulldozer, where two thirds were entirely made out of flesh and skin, all mismatched and of different attributes. While on some sides it looked like a pile of half-melted, half-rotten muscle tissue, on others one could see living, anguished, terrorized faces stitched together to form a desultory-made blanket that covered some metallic surfaces or parts. The most overwhelming piece was, without a doubt, the tank-like turret on top of it all. While the whole structure looked like it stuck out of a huge tumour, the turret was another story entirely, for Braylon could clearly see people, living people at that, tied all over its surface with barbed wire, wriggling in pain like the hundreds of mouths, eyes and limbs scattered all over that cursed abomination. The cannon was short but large, similar to the 890mm Tsar Cannon, but unbelievably big. There were also two giant hands at the turret's sides, made entirely out of flesh, with pieces of wet skin hanging loosely from the muscles. And naturally, the crystal clusters. Dozens of them. Everywhere. *

(Dark Souls – Manus, Father of the Abyss)

What the hell am I looking at, Braylon thought. He wanted to open his mouth, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs as the cannon rose slightly upwards, he wanted to warn everyone of the gigantic, aetherial green comet that was fired from it. But his mouth simply refused to budge. The eyes were solely focused on the bullet that flew high up in the sky, acting like a twisted version of Remnant's sun, completely ignoring the wave of other monstrosities that rushed out from the fog, including several new types and some he encountered before, like the Flesh Artists and their creations. It stayed up there for a few moments, before suddenly falling down on the village like an asteroid. One house was set on fire. People began screaming.

Oh, he was aware that others noticed the same thing he did. It's just that others occupied themselves with the monsters that were far too close to the walls for their liking. No one saw the creature that fired at the house before, as evidenced by shouts like "what the fuck" or "by the gods". However, they seemed to be less frightened by the others that followed. One of the recent additions to the horde was rather unique. It looked like a tall humanoid with large hands but tiny feet. It had no head but a giant mouth and a single eye were on it's abdomen. The mouth was big and hid several rows of tiny, sharp teeth. It's skin was ashen gray. There was only one cluster of crystals present on its body and it was located where the head was supposed to be. People called it "Gigantes" **.

Another type was also present. Unlike the Gigantes, it was the size of a human. This type of monster had two legs and the head of a horse attached to a human abdomen. They were all charcoal black in color, sporting a tiny cannon for a left hand, flesh overgrowing most of the surface. The aetherial crystals were a replacement for the mane that one would usually find on a horse. A tiny cluster could be seen glowing in their hollow abdomens. The most disturbing was the fact that the legs and head behaved erratically while the arms and abdomen were like a ragdoll, thrashing around like dead meat while the legs and head spun, ran and jumped without reason or strategy, their cannons constantly releasing normal fire on their surroundings. These ones were known as "Firestarters" by the locals. ***

Doubt began creeping upon Braylon's mind. His abilities wouldn't be enough to save the village from a horrible fate. But would he abandon the sinking ship as a captain or would he be the first coward to run for safety? That thought came before an Amalgamation crashed into the wooden wall. Its monstrous roar woke him up from his sea of thoughts. Two out of three mantis-like hands pierced through the wall, tearing huge chunks away from it. Braylon quickly switched Omni-Cannon with Fornax and held the trigger. The monster, deprived of everything but rage, kept tearing at the wall, with a few Aetherial Troopers metaphorically lending their hands. When Braylon was able to see its head, he released the trigger, unleashing a powerful beam that vaporized said head away. Before death could embrace it completely, it threw itself at the wall, creating a hole huge enough for others to exploit.

It was then that Braylon knew he and JNPR had to escape. They simply lacked firepower necessary to bring the whole army down, despite having so many weapons. So he jumped down from the watch tower, killed few Troopers and ran. " _Where are they?!_ Jaune! Ren!" He shot another Trooper. "Jaune! Ren! Where are you?!" Braylon passed by a group of villagers. He wanted to turn around and ask them if they saw the two boys from team JNPR. He wanted. He couldn't. A Firestarter was faster than him. It jumped out from nowhere and set the villagers on fire, neighing like a mad horse. A few shots with Fornax melted it enough to make it stationary. Cursing once more, he spun around and continued his search.

He found both Jaune and Ren ten minutes later. They were fighting against a Gigantes, who swung its hands like two giant clubs ready to smash them to bits. At one moment, the creature brought down its hands, but Ren slid under its legs, reached the cluster of aetherial crystals and destroyed it. The Gigantes fell instantly.

"We need to run!" Braylon shouted.

"Where?!"

"We must leave this town! Take Nora and Pyrrha and let's get out of here!"

"What?!"

"This is place is a deathtrap, Jaune! There's way too many monsters!"

"But the villagers…!"

"It's too late for them!"

"No!"

Their conversation stopped when they reached the house where the female members of JNPR lay safe. Braylon kicked down the door, allowing them to come inside. They picked up both Pyrrha and Nora and rushed out. The Vault Hunter glanced slightly at Jaune. He could see a conflict of emotions on his face. But there simply was no time for ethical dilemmas.

"We'll go on the opposite side, away from monsters. Stay behind me, I'll take care of everything. You make sure they aren't harmed. Ok? Let's go!" Another house blew up in the distance. Another victim of the giant on the hill. Did it plan to level the whole village like that? "Shit! We have to get moving!"

It wasn't unusual to find stragglers on their path. Braylon killed several Troopers, two Abominations and one Gigantes. Fornax's plasma easily melted away their flesh or turned them to cinders. Some survived, but were so damaged they were limited to expressing their rage in the form of roars or infuriating, animalistic screams. Finding the wall wasn't hard. It wasn't easy either due to chaos that reigned around them. People were slaughtered, buildings burned, monsters were killed. Over and over. Then, when they were about to escape, the group heard a man shouting not far from them.

"Quick! Over here! Hurry up!" Braylon and others were at a conflict. Should they reach the man or abandon him along with the others? Jaune and Ren chose the former, much to Braylon's frustration. "Come inside!" The man, a Faunus, led them to small room where he pulled a hidden switch which revealed a secret staircase that led down into a cellar. Braylon, Jaune and Ren noticed several children huddled together in a corner, frightened. There was also a woman with them. A red-haired Faunus which tried to comfort them. Before anyone could ask, the Faunus man closed the door behind them, opened another secret door and said: "Come on, let's go through this tunnel. We'll reach a safe house near the shore. Those monsters won't be able to reach us."

(Phillip Wesley – Dark Night of the Soul)

"Wait, hold on," Braylon said, "I don't know who you are or why are you helping these children. But why are you helping us?"

"You are the Huntsmen-in-training everyone talked about, right?"

"Yes. So?"

"Well, you helped us repel the creatures before. This is the least we can do. I'm sorry others weren't able to thank you for your troubles."

"But we failed."

"You tried your best. It's the gesture that counts. No one expected you would actually succeed. Uh, no offense."

Half an hour later, they reached the safe house without anything bothering them. It was made of wood with five rooms of different sizes, including the bathroom. As soon as they entered, the female Faunus told the children she would cook a meal for them and that she was sorry for what happened back at the village. Some children cried, the youngest ones, others were angry while few were silent. Jaune and Ren went to the bedroom where they put their partners on a bed. Nora and Pyrrha were still unconscious. Only Jaune cam back, as Ren decided to remain by their side.

"I'm sorry for what happened. For the loss." Jaune slumped against a chair, "We were unable to help you out."

"What are you saying?" the man shook his head, "You did help us out. True, many probably died or… worse. But we managed to save the children. They have a life to live." Braylon scratched his chin. He was silent for a short period of time. "Why don't you take something to eat with the children? I'm sure you are hungry." The man said as if trying to lighten up the collective mood. While the voice was warm, his expression was that of sadness. Braylon thought he was lucky he wasn't in the man's shoes. "I'll ask Ren if he wants to come." Jaune said and left.

* * *

After eating their meal, the three teenagers gathered around a small table with a map, courtesy of the Faunus couple. The map displayed the whole island. Braylon's PDA played the song Easy Living by Billie Holiday. Before they started the discussion, Braylon told them everything he told Azuli that was related to the monsters and who made them. Fighting an enemy this powerful without knowing anything about them would be suicide. Their reactions surprised him, for they took it better than he expected. Of course, he didn't know what Ren thought because he was mostly stoic, though he did raise his eyebrows few times. He doubted Jaune even heard him. The blond knight was probably far away with his thoughts. Although he did saw Jaune squeezing his fists when Braylon told them about the demons and how those monsters were made. As proof, he explained all pieces of technology he had on himself and showed them the symbol on his left hand. Naturally, he explained several times about the importance of it being one big secret shared between them. No one outside of their circle had to know any detail about it, not even the female members of JNPR. To make sure they would keep their mouths shut, Braylon made up a story about what catastrophes would fall on Remnant if everything he told them fell into the wrong hands.

"The plan is simple." Braylon started, "We go back to the village and from there we head towards the city. I bet that's the place they come from, judging by their movements. One thing. Jaune." he turned to the knight. "Take this gun." he gave him the Energy Pistol, "It has no recoil so it's perfect for you. I doubt you will be able to use the sword a lot, so I suggest you combine the Pistol with your shield. Get used to it, 'cause it won't get better."

"Who will take care of Nora and Pyrrha?"

"We can leave them here. From what I saw, they weren't in shape good enough for the task." he sighed, "Be careful out there. This is nothing like Grimm. They don't have brains. They aren't cunning. Eyes open at all times. If you see something, alert others immediately. Also, stay close to others. One wrong step and we are all dead. Got it?" they nodded, "Good. Let's go. And remember; out there, we won't find friends or neutrals. Bring down everything that moves."

After warning the Faunus couple, the trio returned to the village. Nothing could have prepared them for what they were about to witness.

* * *

(Cryo Chamber – Shub-Niggurath 1)

Upon their return, they found an environment much different than they had remembered. It was shocking how it changed so much in such a short time. Even Braylon was freaked out by the drastic changes. Let's remind ourselves that this used to be a battlefield between Man and monster only a few hours ago. Now it looked like it was abandoned for centuries. Almost no structure was left standing. Those who did, now were a pitiful effigy to rot and death. Few plants that added a sense of beauty were gone, sick or dead. Earth under their feat became a pile lifeless ash. What scared them the most was the air. It was utterly contaminated with a dense, blood red fog. So dense, in fact, that not only it hid the sky in a blanket of red, it was actually harder to see the more one looked in the distance. There was no sound. Nothing. Just emptiness. Pure, simple emptiness.

They coughed.

"Shit." Braylon cursed "The air must be poisoned! Take a piece of cloth and wrap it around your face. We need to get out of here as soon as possible!" Interestingly enough, his PDA failed to recognize any chemical agents in the air. Whatever floated in the air, it wasn't known to his database. A fact that scared him even more. If he couldn't know what it was, there would be no way to counter it. The only clues he had were the disgusting taste it left in his mouth and the burning sensation in his lungs. Could it be corrosive?

"Hey," Jaune coughed, "does anyone feel like their lungs are burning?"

"Yes. There might be something corrosive in the air. Though I don't understand why this smell is so prevalent even with the cloth."

"My skin is itchy." Ren commented.

"Don't talk too much. Who knows what-"

"Hey." the blonde warned Braylon and Ren "There's someone there."

Braylon immediately grabbed Unforgiven: "Where? Just show me."

Indeed, someone was nearby. Some fifteen meters away from the teenagers, there stood a man dressed in camo pants and a tank top, their back turned to them. Braylon pointed his revolver in their direction. He tried to move closer, but the floor under his feet creaked. Immediately, the figure turned around, revealing its rifle. A pair of bright red eyes stared at them with a kind of hatred mortals could never muster. It was a Huntsman. A Posessed Huntsman. ****

"Surrender your souls!"

Despite its shaky hands, it was capable to hold down the trigger long enough for Ren and Braylon to seek cover. Jaune raised his shield for protection. "Fire, Fire! God damn it!" The Vault Hunter screamed at the confused blond Huntsman-in-training. Those few shots he fired with the Energy Pistol missed the target, who also searched for cover. A behavior that wasn't seen before with those taken by demonic forces. "Why didn't you act sooner?!"

"I-I..."

It took a moment for Braylon to understand why Jaune failed to attack. When he looked closely, he could see the legs trembling. There was also a tiny stain between them. It was definitely a side-effect from encountering a demon. That is a type of fear one can never forget. Mentally scolding himself, Braylon took the risk of leaving the cover to bring his temporary partner to safety. The Possessed Huntsman was nowhere in sight, but in his place came a tiny horde of Posessed Corpses.

"Ack!"

Jaune gasped. Something squeezed around his throat. It also lifted him up. "Jaune!" the other two shouted, watching the third teenager coming closer and closer to a Flesh Artist. As if some kind of agreement had passed between them, Ren began shooting at the horde while Braylon ran towards the Flesh Artist, shooting down a Lost Soul that stood in his path. The demon let out a throaty chuckle before running off into the fog. "Motherfucker!" Braylon had to chase the Flesh Artist, passing through the ruins of a house and following the street. He was well aware that this might have been a strategy to separate them. Like Hell he would let that happen!

The Possessed Huntsman jumped out from behind the ruins of a wall the moment Braylon came closer. It scared him, though the adrenaline and the anger he felt were enough to numb the effects it would otherwise have. It screamed profanities in his face as he grabbed the rifle's barrel and pushed it away from himself. Not wasting the opportunity, he materialized Holo Ripper straight through its head and, with a swing, sliced it in half.

" _I have to be careful around these ones! They are far more dangerous than the others I've faced!_ "

Finally, after a long chase, the demon stopped in front of a small house. It turned its head and seethed. Jaune, whose hands were tied to prevent excessive resistance, kicked its head sideways, which turned its attention back to him. Braylon quickly materialized Omni-Cannon and fired a shot. The Flesh Artist growled, sending a spiked tentacle towards him. But before said tentacle could reach its target, Jaune freed one of his hands, grabbed his sword and shoved it into its neck. He fell down, grabbed his pistol and with a cry fired eight times into its chest. The Flesh Artist fell with a disturbing laugh that devolved into gurgles.

" _Huh, guess I'm not the only one who can hurt them… the more you know._ You alright?"

"Yeah…" The look on his face told a different story. Braylon refused to inquire Jaune's current mental state further. "Come on." he coughed, "We have to go back and find Ren." He pulled the blond knight by the shoulder, who remained transfixed on the demonic corpse. "I just hope we'll find the way."

* * *

Another horde fell. The Possessed Corpses came by the dozen. They were easily dispatched thanks to his training and SMGs, what he called StormFlower. Still, he felt the urge to puke, so he removed the cloth and let himself free of that disgusting feeling. Their resemblance to the monsters he saw in horror movies with Nora and the nasty red fog were too much even for someone like him. His throat and lungs were burning as if he had pneumonia or something like that. He wasn't well informed when it came to medicine.

Nora. His heart threatened to stop beating when he saw her getting hurt by one of those monsters. The mere thought caused him such pain and rage. Nevertheless, he had to stay calm. Like Braylon said, they are far more dangerous than the Grimm, even if they don't look like it. As evidenced by the state of the village after they returned. No Grimm could do that.

As he shot an Aetherial Pygmy to death, his mind went back to what Braylon told them. He had mixed feelings about it. On one side, his mind was skeptical, searching for another answer. But now he doubted himself. It looked like Braylon said the truth. It was hard to believe that the Grimm, as well as the monsters he currently fought, were a product of some beings who were extremely evil and destructive. Truth to be told, just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine. Could really beings this evil exist? Reality said yes. Maybe it was a good thing to keep it a secret between the three of them. He just hoped Nora would never find out. Death would be more preferable.

Someone jumped out from the ruins. It was the woman with two sickles. Her eyes were bright red.

"I will devour your heart, mortal!" She roared in a voice that scared Ren. He had no idea what was going on, but he was sure she wasn't her normal self. She acted just like that man Braylon wanted to shoot. With her sickle-like blades in hand, she ran forward at a surprising speed. It caught Ren off guard, so he jumped away before she could hurt him. The moment her feet touched the ground, Azuli jumped at him with the same speed, something that shouldn't be possible even with Semblance powers. Dodging that was impossible. He had to defend himself with the blades mounted on his SMGs. Azuli brought down her blades, which clashed with Ren's.

"You will rot in the deepest pits of Hell!"

Her head exploded.

"Wha-?!"

Warm blood stained his face and clothes. Her brutal and sudden death left him breathless.

"Ren!" Jaune shouted as he ran towards him. Braylon walked calmly.

"You alright?"

He nodded.

Braylon whistled. "Someone was busy." He coughed. "Damn it! We have to get out of this place."

"Easier said than done. Where do we go?"

"Let's follow the road. Once again, shoot everything that moves. Those that could have been an ally are either dead or corrupted beyond salvation."

The only thing they could hear while they walked were their own footsteps. It was unnatural how quiet the whole place was, considering it was so lively when they came. Not even the most cliché horror sounds, like faint whispers or doors creaking, were present. Only emptiness. No signs of life whatsoever. Just the red fog that seemed infinite. Their breathing became more labored and their skin developed rashes. The fog was the culprit, no doubt about that. Braylon tried to figure out what it was, but his brain was getting tired. The remains of the village looked like a maze, unlike before where it was easy to figure out things. He glanced at his PDA, which still gave no results.

"What the…?"

He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, then checked his PDA once again.

"What the fuck?"

"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked. He was in an even worse state than him.

"T… there is rust on my device. It's impossible. This thing is made of material… it can't oxidize like that! What the fuck is this fog made of?!"

"Look, over there!" Ren warned his two companions, pointing his finger at something on their left. What they saw shocked them. It resembled a tall statue of an upside-down teardrop, completely made of some black stone-like material, enveloped around a massive orange crystal shaped like a cuboid. A portion of the crystal could be seen sticking out from the top, surrounded by a crown made of human skulls laying on the black material. The lower portion of the crystal was buried in the ground below. The whole structure stood straight thanks to four spider-like legs located on each side. It had four tiny tubes sticking out from above the legs, which pumped out the red fog rhythmically. *****

" _What the hell is that?_ " Braylon thought, " _A new plaything for the demons?_ "

"That thing's pumping out the red stuff! We must destroy it!"

"You crazy, Jaune? We can barely stand. If we don't get out in time..."

"Braylon! Who knows what kind of damage it will do if we keep it in one piece!"

"It's no use knowing that if we will be dead!" he coughed multiple times, "Shit! We don't have time for that! There! Let's go through that hole in the stockade! Quick!"

"But..."

"Forget it!"

"Argh! Damn it!" Jaune wanted to punch something.

"Save your rage for the monsters. You will need it."

They managed to escape through the stockade and uphill, following the road. The moment they stepped outside the fog, they all gasped for fresh air as one would for life itself. It was such a relief that their legs gave in and they all fell down. The presence of green grass and other plant life under their legs sent a chill down their spine. Braylon looked back into the fog. All life touched by the blood red gas was snuffed out. Everything out of its reach, even for a centimeter, was as pristine as when it was created. Shaking his head, he returned his concentration back at the duo.

"You both alright?"

"I… I want to puke my lungs out." Jaune complained before coughing some more. "But at least I can breathe again. Thank the gods."

"I'm alright. My throat hurts. But I'm alright."

The trip through the infested village exhausted their strength. Nevertheless, they decided that the best course of action was to move as far away as they could from it, to avoid attracting more monsters towards them. No Grimm or monster appeared while they followed the road. When they reached the base of the mountain, Braylon proposed to find a place where they could sit down and take a nap. The area was filled with rocks of various shapes and sizes. Their choice was to hide behind three large rocks that formed a circle, along with some smaller ones, so they could have some kind of protection if someone wanted to ambush them. As always, Braylon offered himself to stand on guard duty because he wasn't as tired as Jaune and Ren were. When they fell asleep, Braylon sat on one of the giant rocks and scouted the area with his eyes. Apart from few trees dispersed across the land, there really was nothing interesting or worthy of his attention.

Then, without a warning, a giant shadow blocked the sunlight from behind him. He immediately stood up and materialized Striker. Turning around, he gasped. Two massive butterflies flew in the sky, their beautiful wings producing short bursts of air that felt like a warm breeze on his skin. Confused and amazed, he tried to understand why were such big butterflies existing on such an island and why he didn't see them in the Emerald Forest or Forever Fall.

" _Could… could it be that they are not from this world?_ "

It was entirely possible. Sturgs were the living proof. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if more creatures would eventually pop up across Remnant. A new, scarier thought appeared in his mind as he saw the butterflies flying away. If the animals could cross over through the rifts, could there be a chance of land transportation? Could an island or a continent from a different reality suddenly materialize on Remnant, should the rift be big enough? Did the size of the rift even matter? He had no answer. But the sight of those butterflies scared him as much as it warmed his heart. For all he knew, they could be carnivorous or another invasive species, like the Sturgs seem to be. The total ecological damage would definitely be astronomical, no matter what he did. Closing his eyes, he spun his head and neck, trying to ease the pain and relax himself.

He opened his eyes.

…

"W… w… what?"

Approximately twenty meters away from his position, near a tree, reality began acting weird. It stretched, then elongated, then stretched again, then it tore itself apart, forming the typical purple light and black electricity he saw back in Hell.

A rift!

" _What? Why? How?!_ "

He was surprised as everyone would be in his situation. For something so supernatural as a rift to appear so suddenly and without anything that could trigger its activation, Braylon resisted the urge to scream "watch out" to his temporary comrades Jaune and Ren. A rift, he figured, was always bad news. He prepared himself to give a welcome to whatever would eventually crawl out of it from the other side. He went so far as to switch Striker for Leviathan, despite being short on ammo he wanted to test on actual demons. Steadying his breath, tightening his grip on the weapon as if his own life depended on it, crouching and clearing his head of any thoughts that could distract him, the Vault Hunter waited. He waited and waited and waited some more, but only gray dust flew out. Should he keep waiting or should he go closer? He wanted to investigate that dust, to find out what it was. Cursing himself for being stupid, Braylon went closer to the rift and grabbed a handful of dust, letting his PDA to scan it properly.

" _Ash? No, wait. Sand similar to ash?! The hell?_ "

There was only one way to know for sure. He needed to go through the rift. There was always the fear that it would close the moment he crossed over, but it seemed stable enough for travel. Much more stable than the ones he saw before. Even more bad news.

* * *

(Enmarta - Nekrosis)

The first thing he did when he arrived in the new reality was to curse. He cursed himself for being so curious about things that could kill him. He cursed his mother and father for bringing him into the world. He cursed his life because he felt it was miserable. He even cursed his fate for being, and we quote, "shitty". But most importantly, he cursed the sand that tickled his face. It was the second time he fell on sand due to a stupid rift. It was gray like the one that went to Remnant. Removing the sand from his clothes, Braylon sighed and raised his head.

" _Now let's see what's this reality about… whoa…_ "

Unlike the previous realities, this one was bland. All he could see was one giant desert that extended for miles, a pitch black sky, a wind that transported the sand everywhere and a sun that seemed to have a solar eclipse going on. It was dark, but not enough to make it hard to move. The only anomaly he could find was the amount of rifts that were scattered everywhere. He was able to count five. Nothing came out of them. Like the one from which he came, those rifts remained open.

He was able to breathe. That was a plus. The first thought was him landing on a moon of some planet. But there was no planet he could see in the sky and it looked like it was night, probably due to the eclipse.

" _And here I was, thinking I would find something interesting. Oh well, at least I can search the area around the rift. Let's see… I'm on a dune, it seems. Really big one at that. There's nothing in this God-damned world. Not even a scorpion or some shit._ "

Feelings of despair and depression were something he wasn't able to remove from his consciousness. All he could see were dunes of ashen gray sand. Yet his heart felt like it would burst into tears.

" _This place… it feels… lonely. Abandoned. Hopeless. Fuck, it's messing with my head. Better keep quiet…_ " Braylon gasped. " _Hold on. Who's that?_ "

Braylon quickly descended into the valley. It wasn't the fact that the figure in the distance stood still like a statue, nor were dozens of swords that seemed to be stuck in the sand in front of it, like some graveyard. It was the desert itself. Something was definitely wrong with that reality. Some dunes were bigger than others and the eclipse seemed to go on for an eternity. Even the valley he reached was strange, especially with all the wind that was spreading the sand everywhere. The figure's strangely light-colored hair and attire, a light gray two-piece suit with metallic pauldrons and metal boots, were a stark contrast to the environment around them. It also wore a cape of sorts, which was severely damaged.

"Another one came back to haunt me in my final moments." The figure's voice was feminine. He didn't understand a word she said. It sounded like a really strange version of latin. "I've done all I could to help and yet here you are, tormenting me in my final moments."

It was only after the figure turned around that Braylon felt sorry for her. She was definitely the warrior type, he concluded after he was able to see her completely. He thought she, in her better days, must have been an unparalleled beauty, judging by her body, which now looked malnourished like her face. What struck him as odd were her silvery eyes. They weren't like Ruby's. More dull and "fake", like they weren't that at birth. Her long, dirty hair flipped in the wind. Her faint smile was a facade, as evidenced by the look in her eyes.

"Hm… you are a young one, but you are not Clare. Not the first, however. I've seen many die, just as I've seen many villages crumble into nothingness." Braylon still remained silent. Even with her obvious sickness, she was remarkably elegant in her movements. "I'm sorry it turned out the way it did. I really am. Who could've thought that similar monsters existed? Not even the Yoma were that evil." She raised her hands. "This is what they left behind them. Everyone's dead. I am the only one left. It looks like the goddess of Rabona wants me to stay here some more. Heh, perhaps this is atonement for my sins. But..." She picked up a sword. It was similar to medieval German big swords, a kind of weapon used to counter the then-popular chain mail. "It's been long since I had a fight. So what do you say, brat? Want to make this old girl happy?"

" _What is she doing? I have a bad feeling about this._ " She appeared in front of him before he could blink. Luckily, he was able to jump away before she could hit him. " _Holy shit! That speed!_ "

"Hmph. I'm really getting old." She turned to him, smiling as he said, "Don't stop now. You piqued my interest." She jumped and swung her sword again. He replied by jumping away. "My, my. You are quick with those legs."

" _Why is she attacking me?! Does she think I'm an enemy? Fuck!_ "

There was no way to evade her attack, so he just raised his hands in front of him defensively. While the Shield absorbed the damage the sword would do to him, it didn't stop the force behind the attack, which sent him flying several meters back.

" _Damn it!_ " he thought as he got up " _Despite looking weak, she is both strong and fast!_ Stop it! I am not your enemy."

"Hm? What kind of language is that? I haven't heard it in any village I visited… Could it be?..."

" _Did she understand?_ "

She chuckled, "Look at me, speaking to a brat who is not even there. It seems I lost my head."

Raising her sword, she reappeared in front of him again. This time, things changed. Braylon was quicker with his Unforgiven, injuring her left shoulder. Her smile vanished, replaced with a look of pure shock.

"My shoulder…?"

" _I guess that's a no. She doesn't look like she feels pain._ "

"You don't have a sword, yet you injured my shoulder. And what might that thing in your hands be? Guess I'll see it after I cut your hands off." She brought down her sword, but the Vault Hunter used his Holo Sabre to chop it in half. "What?!" He then kicked her away and fired two bullets into her chest. She didn't fall. Her face was covered with her hair.

"I see it now. You are no phantom. You are one of them." she dropped her sword and, somehow, reached the pile of swords stabbed into the sand "Just like a Yoma, you take the form of a Human to blend in, then strike like a snake that you are."

" _This woman looks insane. What's she even_ _saying_ _?_ "

"Clare… Clare, stay back. I promised you I would be alright. Don't worry about me. It's time to finish this." Before she did anything, she buried her sword in front of her. Then, a powerful gust of air appeared around her, sending sand everywhere. "I promised you I would be fine, Clare! No Yoma or monster will ever lay a finger on you! I'm a warrior, remember? Teresa is my name and I'm the number one warrior of the organization!******"

" _Dear God! Where did this wind come from?!_ "

The wind continued for a few more moments, covering the woman from his sight. After it died down, Braylon was able to see the same woman, only now she looked different. Very different. She had four wings, two big and two small. Her uniform was gone and she emitted a bright light. Everything else was same as before.

" _What the fuck?! Is that… an angel?! No, wait. It's… a demon! Maybe? Oh boy, she looks pissed! Do I fight?!_ "

(Dark Souls – Great Grey Wolf Sif)

She took flight for few moments before hitting the ground with her sword, producing an earthquake. Braylon covered his face to avoid getting sand in his eyes. A gust of wind that blew at him made him realize it was better to roll away. His instincts were proven right when her sword missed him and hit the sand, blowing it everywhere as if a grenade had exploded. Braylon took aim with his Unforgiven. He wanted to fire a shot, but he noticed something strange. Her wounds disappeared, although the plume-covered garment that hid her chest was stained with blood.

" _Fast healing, huh?_ " Braylon fired three shots, she deflected them with her sword " _This is getting tiresome. Why are we even fighting? Guess I won't know the answer until one of us dies._ " A single swing of her sword was so powerful it sent Braylon flying backwards, despite the distance between them. She was near his body before he could even fall down.

"Your sorcery is useless against me. Die."

But Braylon wasn't ready to die yet. That's why he materialized Orphan Maker and fired immediately. Teresa, expecting she would deflect the pellets, used her sword again. Unfortunately for her, she missed a small portion of said pellets, which buried in her flesh. Braylon used Holo Sabre and cut one of her legs. Teresa fell, allowing Braylon to stand up and reload his weapon.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore… whatever you are. What is your name? Teresa? Clare? We can..."

Teresa's head immediately stood straight. The lost leg she held in her hands was tossed away. Legs were unnecessary when one could fly. However, Braylon noticed something strange as she flew towards him multiple times, attacking without giving him a chance to act back.

" _Her speed…! She's… slowing down?_ "

Indeed, the first few attacks were so fast even his enhanced senses weren't enough to spot them, which ended in his Shield taking the burden of damage. But gradually, her speed became noticeable. It was still fast, but not enough that he couldn't dodge. He even managed to hit one of her smaller wings with the Orphan Maker, blowing it away. She didn't heal this time.

"Curse you, fiend! I'll drag you down with me!"

He could feel it. That would be the final exchange between them. She was reaching her limits. Waiting for her move, Braylon prepared his Orphan maker for one last shot. It had to be perfect, nothing could go to waste. And so, when she came close enough, the Vault Hunter ducked under her sword, aimed at her large left wing and fired. The blast tore it away, throwing her off-balance. The woman crashed into the sand few meters away from him. There was no need for the fight to continue further. It was over. The woman coughed multiple times.

"Hmph. What a pathetic display from my part. If only I weren't so damn hungry." she noticed his shadow coming closer to her, "Came to finish me off? Well, then do it. I can't even stand up anymore. Too tired."

For all he knew, the whole fight could be just one big misunderstanding between the two. She probably thought he came to kill her or something, which would explain the hostility. Whatever the reason, there end was inevitable. He knew from her movements that she would loose before the fight even started. The speed and agility caught him by surprise, but he was in better shape. He felt no supernatural emotions when seeing her, meaning she was no demon or angel or whatever. A monster, maybe. But what did he knew. Maybe it was a thing in that reality.

(Atrium Carceri – A Memory Lost)

Perhaps it was out of respect, perhaps out of pity. Braylon picked her up, earning a "put me down, brat" that he never understood. Spinning around, he walked towards the swords stuck in the sand. Only when he came close to them did he realize their meaning. Those were tombstones. Possibly of warriors just like her. She began speaking quietly, as if her lucidity came for a brief moment.

"We were unprepared when they came. For a moment, we thought they were a type of Yoma, maybe Voracious Eaters. But no Yoma could be so savage, so evil. They had no mercy towards anything. Other warriors fought and fought, but all they did was die in nightmarish ways. I doubt any of them met any kind of happiness. I, on the other hand, did. I was the lucky one. Why did I have to meet her, boy? Why did I meet Clare? Why did she follow me?" two teardrops fell down her cheeks, "It was thanks to her that I learned..." she coughed blood, "I learned that even these silver eyes can shed tears. And now I lost everything. Everything… is gone. Even my sanity."

He placed her near the swords, "Thanks, boy. Before you came I thought I was the only one alive on this world. Are you even real? Did I imagine the whole battle? Are these just visions of a dying, insane mind? I can't tell. In any case, please her me out." she coughed again, "Please, if you are real, avenge this world. Avenge every soul that was taken that day. But most importantly, avenge my dear Clare. She didn't deserve to end like she did… torn apart by them, trying to protect me." the woman began crying, "Everyone. Please forgive me. I was weak. Clare… oh, my dear Clare… I..."

She was dead.

Braylon's eyes were hidden by his hair, his face calm and collected. He didn't understand a word of what she said, but he was able to recognize her emotions. She was sad and grieving for something or someone that was lost. As he dug her grave with his hands, he tried to come up with an explanation for the lack of life in that reality. In some past times, he would try to find a rational explanation for something so strange. Now he judged based on his experience with the supernatural. Was that desert a carcass left behind by a demonic crusade? Could they do something like that? Could they make the sky so dark and trap the sun in an eternal eclipse? Yes. They probably could. If they could, they most likely did. Misery for the sake of misery.

Turning around, he glanced at the unmarked grave. Another victim of the greatest threat imaginable. With a silent nod, Braylon went towards the rift that brought him there. He would never tell anyone about the despair and the lack of life he witnessed that day. It would be a burden for his soul and his soul only, for some things were better left forgotten, stored as yet another memory file in the vastness that is the PDA's database.

* * *

 **On this day, December 23** **rd** **, exactly one year ago, I began writing this story from basically nothing. It came to me as a thought in one single evening, when I suddenly decided that I wasn't happy with the predecessor, no matter how much fun I had writing it. Although fun, it was far from an actual effort and/or story. I was basically making stuff up along the way just to see where would my creativity lead me. But then I decided it was time to get serious. It was time to take this creativity and begin writing seriously, with actual effort. The first ever scene of this story was written in just few hours. I felt amazing writing it. This was the key moment that made me think I finally made it. Of course, I still make stuff up on the spot, but now I try to add more sense to it.**

 **One biggest part that kept me going were the readers, who always left interesting/encouraging** **comments, as well as actually took some time from their lives to read it all. Well, if any of you followers/readers are still here, thank you. I hope this story may be as interesting as the other one. This time, I will make sure to write it to the end. I have many plans for this story. More action, more drama, more horror, more everything. Thanks, merry Christmas and happy New Year!**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #84:** Aetherial Siege Engine

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Construct

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _In the grim darkness that is the mind of the Fleshmenders, one construct stands apart from all the others. The Siege Engine, a device created with the sole purpose of destroying any kind of fortification that stands on its path, is a thing built to last, capable to survive damage that would destroy lesser creations several times over._ _The souls that fuel its relentless crusade, free of the mortal compassion that would only be a hindrance in combat and further conditioned to focus their hatred on anything that a Fleshmender would like to exterminate, keep piling up with each kill, making its already impressive strength even bigger. The Fleshmenders will always try to preserve the worst mortal filth they are able to find, so that they can stitch their bodies and souls to this infernal thing. Should a Siege Engine suffer damage, the flesh will begin replacing metal, which will act as a perfect substitute just to keep the Engine going._ _Despite having no mind of its own, it has desires shared by the conglomerate of Condemned souls. Those desires are the secondary source of fuel. And while they share the same negative spectrum, they all have in common the need to be known throughout the multiverse as bloodthirsty marauders who want revenge against Anathema_ _for the eternal punishment they have to suffer._ " (Deals bonus aetherial damage)

* * *

** **Entry #85:** Aetherial Gigantes

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _No war can be won if it lacks crucial components. Brutes_ _indifferent to the targets that lie before them, whose rage increases the more damage they receive, is one of them. The horrible (for mortals) reality about facing a Gigantes is that he enjoys causing as much pain to his victims as he does tearing them apart with his teeth or hands. For someone of such size, they are extremely efficient in finding that one artery or that one bone which, when bitten, will make the enemy beg for a swift end. Limbs can be severed just to leave someone bleeding to their death. Heads can be twisted and ripped from the body with just enough force to strip out even the spinal columns. Even the teeth are a danger in itself, for if should someone suffer damage because of them, they would receive a cocktail of chemicals that would make them unable to die until they loose all blood or are killed off by the Gigantes._ " (Deals bonus aetherial Damage)

* * *

*** **Entry #86:** Aetherial Firestarter

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Aetherial

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Sewing corpses together can be a gruesome experience for many. But what happens when you chop an animal into (living) pieces and fuse them to dead remains of another being? I don't know. What I do know is that the animal that serves to create these things is definitely alive and well, thanks to the Aetherial crystals. It knows perfectly well what happened to its head and legs and it is totally freaked out by that. That is why it is such a wild card that sets everything on fire._ "

* * *

**** **Entry #87:** Possessed – Huntsman

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Looks like some possessions produced high quality results this time. Probably a Dark Soul or a Forgotten One is the culprit. These aren't your standard cannon fodder type of threats. As you were able to see, they can use the agility and brains of their hosts to their advantage. I wonder what will happen when you will, inevitably, encounter one that is better than you._ "

* * *

***** **Entry #88:** Contaminator

 **Type:** Construct – Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _The Contaminator is one of the three constructs used for purposes other than warfare, the other two being the Terraformer and the Teleporter._ _Unlike them, the Contaminator can be regarded as the most dangerous one due to its ability. As its name implies, it contaminates the environment around itself in a radius that can go anywhere from five hundred meters to fifty kilometers, depending on its proximity to other Contaminators. The first thing it does when the desired target becomes a piece of land is to burrow its core, the crystal, into the ground, which then spreads out like the roots of a tree. These roots will gradually absorb every precious mineral from the earth, turning it into what is known as "dead ash", gray sand that is absolutely useless for supporting life._ _If there is water nearby, it will become undrinkable._ _This is the first stage of contamination. The second stage starts when said minerals return to the Contaminator, which will create powerful toxins that will later be released into the air, killing everything alive and decaying that which isn't._ _After this stage is complete, the land becomes uninhabitable forever. Mortals have no means needed to remove the gas or to save the earth. If the process envelopes a whole planet, it becomes a giant gray desert no matter how habitable it was before._ _A Contaminator can be used underwater or in the air as well._ _Even the toxins it releases can be altered at will, sometimes "borrowing" the recipes from mortal worlds, which turn out to be useful most of the time._ "

* * *

****** **Entry #89:** Teresa of The Faint Smile

 **Type:** Presumed Human

 **Faction:** Unknown

 **Description:** " _There are things you never learn in schools, no matter how good they are. One of them is how to live a life. Ironic, since schools are supposed to "prepare you for the life". But how can one prepare themselves for moments when despair crushes their own soul without even knowing why? I don't know what happened to that world and yet I felt so hopeless like I've never felt before, not even in the most life-threatening situations I experienced. The only sign of life I found was this woman, whom I was unable to understand due to the language barrier. I'm not stupid. I know when someone wants to die, wants to end it all. They become suicidal because they have nothing left to loose. God only knows what she has been through. And God help me too, because I have a feeling that this is my fault… I should've never open that fucking Vault._ "


	31. Bait and Switch

(Council of Nine – January 3rd)

A loud bang echoed from the mountain four times in a row. Braylon's Striker made quick work of a reptilian creature that walked on two feet, another thing that couldn't exist naturally on Remnant. The Vault Hunter reached the fresh corpse. Typing something on the PDA's screen, he moved it closer to the creature's body so that he could perform a scan that would gather precious information which would later be stored in the database. While the PDA did its magic, he whistled a random tune that appeared in his mind. He tried to make it sound cheerful, but all he got was something so dramatic it could as well be a funeral march. Ren and Jaune walked up to him.

"I never saw this animal." Ren commented in his usual emotionless voice.

"Nobody on Remnant ever saw this animal." Braylon added.

"Well, what is it?" Jaune asked, peeking over Braylon's shoulder.

"Its DNA resembles that of a Jackson's Chameleon. Though I don't know how can such a tiny animal naturally evolve into a nine-feet tall, horned bastard with twelve-inch-long claws of death ."

"Did you see how fast it was? It..."

Neither Ren or Jaune expected Braylon to materialize Holo Ripper and burrow it deep into the creature's skull with such barbaric movements that it resembled like he was trying to scoop out its brains. Shocked from the sudden blood that fell everywhere, they both jumped back. But not Braylon. He continued slicing with Holo Ripper until the head became a squashed tomato, staining himself with blood. After he was done, he stood still for two long minutes, breathing heavily. "...are you sure you're okay?" Jaune asked carefully, like when you deal with an unstable psychopath. Braylon quickly replied: "It was still alive. I had to do it. Sorry for the mess." Jaune wanted to express how he failed to see any sign that would tell him it was alive. But then again, he knew better than to make his friend, and he felt like he was really stretching that word's meaning, angry. "There should be a tiny river few meters ahead. We will take a break there." He commanded nonchalantly as he began walking. When they reached said river, Jaune and Ren drank some water before Braylon washed away the blood from his face. All three of them decided to rest for a while.

The three teenagers began their journey the moment Braylon returned to Remnant. He found Jaune and Ren, answering their concerns with an excuse about needing to urinate. They doubted he cared whether they believed him or not. He was silent for the whole four-hours-long walk. The only thing that bothered them was a tiny flock of young Nevermores, which were quickly killed with their combined firepower. Jaune commented how he started liking the Energy Pistol, to which Braylon said nothing.

"Where do we go now?" the blond knight asked.

"The town, Arcton, used to be a heaven for mining industries. So I think we can take a shortcut if we find a tunnel or a cave. It will probably lead us the top of the mountain or straight into the town itself."

"Won't it be dangerous? I mean, it could be a trap."

"No matter our choice, we will be screwed anyways. I want to take the shortcut so that we can reach and kill whatever is creating those monsters as soon as possible."

"Yeah, about that." Jaune visibly tensed, "Isn't it weird how we still haven't encountered at least one of them?"

"If I had to guess, they are probably searching the island for any other obstacles they need to wipe out."

"Why?"

Braylon shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe they want to colonize the island? Whatever the reason, we must stop it. If we don't..."

Jaune's eyes were hidden under the shadow, yet the other two boys knew how he felt. For being a situation where the fate of the world depended on three Huntsmen-in-training, with two of them being the textbook definition of greenhorns, it created a sort of temporary bond that connected all three equally. While Jaune and his teammate had a noble cause, to save Remnant, the Vault Hunter did this just to stall. There wasn't much he was able to do anyways. The Siege Engine returned to his mind. Undoing the damage inflicted to the island and its inhabitants would probably be hard, if not impossible.

" _Maybe a quarantine?..._ "

"...on?"

"Hm? Yes?"

"You were kinda lost there. Is anything…?"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

Jaune and Ren looked at each other.

"No need to worry. I'm fine."

"Then why is your hand gripping that rock so tightly?" Ren asked.

Braylon blinked, looked down and, to his surprise, he was really holding a rock as if he wanted to turn it into dust.

"Yeah… I'm good..." He murmured, more to himself than his companions. He then shook his head and calmly said: "We are standing here for few more minutes. No more."

"If you say so."

* * *

(Enmarta – March of the Priests)

So they finally found a tunnel, as Braylon said they would. It was surprising to Jaune how his temporary teammate quickly took the role of the leader, a role that should have been his. He wasn't jealous or anything like that. Who would be jealous in such a scenario, where real people fought real monsters and died for real? The only thing he didn't like was his weakness. His whole gimmick revolved around using a sword and shield, which weren't even his! Then again, he had to remind himself that he faked his way into Beacon. How could he stand up to Huntsmen-in-training? Stand up to Braylon?

For an odd reason, he respected Braylon. True, he was a jerk and not very social, but he was a true comrade in battlefield, or at least that's what he thought. In his mind, he started idolizing Braylon not for his personality, but for his ability to handle difficult situations and his skills in battle. The pistol (which he called "Energy Pistol", a rather bland name he thought) already gave him few ideas on how to use it while he could. A shield and pistol combo was pretty good. Defending himself while he shot his opponents. Pistol and sword could be used should he need to be aggressive. But that would leave him defenseless unless he was really good at dodging, which he wasn't.

"Braylon?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a plan for when we get inside that city?"

"I'll improvise. Somehow."

Jaune wanted to start any kind of conversation, to remove the creepy paranoia of being ambushed when they don't expect it. Even if he failed to find any side-tunnels or rocks to hide behind, Jaune's fear made him think that those monsters would crawl out from the walls themselves. He was scared of fighting them, but he was also worried about his friends. For their sake, he had to be brave enough to fight. He had to be brave. He had to be brave. He had…

"Deathclaw!" He screeched like a girl, pointing at a tunnel to their left, few meters ahead. Braylon and Ren were confused for a moment, before noticing the giant creature similar to the one they killed outside. It was running towards them. Jaune, seeing that they couldn't jump away in time to avoid being hit, immediately stood in front of them with his shield, but was smacked towards a wall with a simple swing of its massive arms. Though his sacrifice was questionable, it gave time to the other two to draw out their guns. Braylon materialized Orphan Maker and fired into its chest while Ren went behind and cut its legs slightly above its feet. The creature fell on its knees but it was still alive and deadly. It tried to cut Braylon, who materialized Holo Sabre and stabbed its palm. A painful howl could be heard as the Vault Hunter moved his holographic tool up, towards the shoulder, slicing the entire arm in two right as he was reloading the shotgun, which he used to shatter the head.

"Wha…?" Jaune's head hurt. He felt someone's hands pulling him up.

"Are you stupid? Why did you do that?"

"Uh..."

"You want to die, moron?"

"Braylon."

"Zip it, Ren. We could have taken that and this idiot just had to be a hero. What was Ozpin thinking when he put Jaune as a leader?" he helped the blond knight to stand up, "Also, Deathclaw? Seriously? What kind of stupid name is that?"

"Well, you did say claws of death..."

"Braylon. Where did this one come from?"

"That's what I want to know. I'm tempted to explore that tunnel from where it crawled out like a rat."

"What if we find more?"

"We can always destroy the tunnel." Braylon said nonchalantly, as if that was completely normal thinking.

(Fallout – Underground Troubles)

The group made a slight detour to check the tunnel. It was short and it led to a tiny cave containing a rift, which surprised everyone. Nothing alive was present there. Strangely, his PDA began ticking. He checked to see what was happening to his device, only to notice that the Geiger counter was detecting tiny amounts of radiation…

"That's a rift. A "portal" to other realities, to put it simply." Braylon replied to Jaune and Ren, who were more concerned than him, "And it's leaking."

"What do you mean?"

"..."

That was the second rift he encountered that day and it was relatively close to the first one. Braylon couldn't wrap his head around this mystery. It was obviously bad news, but he wanted to know why. He remembered the sight from that reality he visited, where the rifts were almost everywhere. Was such a thing happening on Remnant as well?

"We will bury this cave." he said, "You two start running towards the exit, I'll use explosives to bring down the whole damn thing."

"But why?"

"I don't know how to close that. I don't even know if it will ever close. But I can prevent any more monsters to come out from it. Now go!"

As they ran, Braylon materialized Nukem and fired at the ceiling. The earth shook as the explosion shattered some rocks that began falling, some of which fell right on another of those creatures that was just about to cross over. Running as fast as his legs could carry him, he caught up to Ren and Jaune, who had to jump-climb their way to the exit, where the aetherial green light outshone the sun.

* * *

(Doom 2016 – Suspense)

The corrupted city they were looking for lay below them; a fortress of concrete and steel with its gates wide open and its ramparts abandoned, decorated with slain trophies of its inhabitants. And while silent, it was no sleeping giant, for its streets burned with aetherial green fire so brightly that even the layer of clouds, absent on their way up, was stained with that unholy color. Their eyes watered from the pungent stench that filled their nostrils. Not the stench of rot, but something sweet mixed with sweat and sulphur. No monster was there to attack them, yet they could hear voices whispering in their ears or screaming at the top of their lungs only to fade five seconds later. It was a bizarre sub-reality they had to endure for the good of all.

"...The blanks are filling in..." Braylon spoke quietly.

"By the gods, what blanks?" Jaune swatted the air multiple times, "Am I the only one who is hearing voices?"

"Ignore them. Actually, hear me out because this is important." Braylon materialized Ajax's Spear, "You need to remember some rules before doing anything. Your life depends on it. Is that clear?"

(Dronny Darko - Geist)

They both nodded, though their eyes were more focused on the curse that befell the city. He snapped few times with his fingers near their ears.

"Hey, concentrate! I know it's captivating, trust me. I've been there. So do your best to ignore it and listen to me. Rule number one: ignore everything your mind tells you. If you see weird shit, you do not think about it. If you hear someone screaming for help, you ignore it even if it goes against your very being, like now. I don't know what we'll find there. Maybe the whole damn place is one big trap for idiots like us. Maybe houses will sing or walls will cry. You don't give a fuck, okay? Turn your head around or think of something else." he sighed, "Rule number two: I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but this place is a balls-to-the-wall clusterfuck, especially if it's what I think it is. Your head might simply explode from the simple "things men weren't meant to know" shit that we will find inside. Keep your weapons ready and kill everyone you find. There are no friends here, only enemies that want your souls. Got it? Let's go."

The group descended down to a small path that lead through a cemetery and towards one of the giant gates. After Braylon's speech, Jaune and Ren didn't dare moving their fingers away from the triggers. They would jump at the slightest sound or aim at the first shadow they deemed far too weird for their liking. Braylon was slightly more calm, more focused. But even he was nervous. Beads of sweat dried on his face and forehead, his eyes never leaving the sights of his gun.

"Check it out, I thought creepy situations like this only existed in movies." Jaune gulped loudly.

"Yeah. I still don't like it."

"Are you me?"

While the voice kept pestering their ears with cries and mockery, their eyes were free of such distractions, able to observe the graves for any suspicious movements. Even if that was a place for eternal rest of Humans and Faunus alike, there was a very high possibility that the undead could simply crawl out from their tombs and attack them en masse. If that happened, they would be completely surrounded, without a way to escape. The undead would slowly but surely rip them apart and that would be their end.

But none came.

They reached the giant gates that led deeper into the hive of madness. None of them made another step. Braylon had to shook his teammates multiple times to stop them from staring at the display of corpses on the walls. Even he couldn't help but stare, even for a second, at the supposed trophies of death. The blood on the walls dried long ago, but some of it trickled out from tiny openings between bricks. He decided it was time to move into the city when he saw one of the hanging bodies staring directly at him with its dead eyes, the thinnest of smiles spreading its lips apart.

Nothing still came.

"Few minutes in and I already want out." Jaune commented, staring at something in the distance before quickly moving his eyes somewhere else.

"Suffer in silence. You had your chance and you blew it."

It came out a little more cruelly than he wanted, Braylon had to admit. The only thing he needed of them was discipline he knew they didn't have and an iron will that took years to develop. That's why he wanted to go alone. A gun or two that would watch his back were always welcome at times like this, sure. He was asking too much from whom he thought of as kids, also known as Huntsmen-in-training.

He was right when he said they could encounter some "weird shit" in the city. The first thing they noticed was the lack of aetherial fire they saw earlier. When out of the town, it looked like entire streets were burning with everything in them. Now only few houses were demolished and only one or two were burning. When they came to a tiny public square, probably one of many, they stopped briefly to check their surroundings. One road was entirely blocked off with garbage, leaving only two open for choice.

"I don't like this."

"Now you are just repeating yourself Braylon."

"Quiet, you."

"We go left or forward?" Asked Ren.

"Left."

Jaune understood what Braylon told him, the "rules" he probably made up on the spot. And he wanted to follow those "rules", really. But Braylon told him to ignore a woman that sounded like she needed help. She kept screaming about her child being hurt. He wasn't stupid. It was definitely a trap. Just to be sure, however, he glanced over at the other available road. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw an actual woman running towards them with a child in her arms, only to fall down as a Fleshmender was about to kill her with its mutated arm.

"No!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, before darting in the woman's direction faster than a bullet.

"Jaune, you stupid imbecile! Come back!" Braylon shouted from behind him. He and Ren decided to follow their partner.

"Stay away from her!" Jaune took his sword and cut the Fleshmender's arm… only to see that same Fleshmender disappear into the faint fog that covered the whole place. When he was about to turn around, the woman was gone too! Even the road changed! It resembled a park with few dead trees and burnt grass. A fountain not far from him poured out blood rather than water.

"Huh?!"

"Jaune! Jaune!"

He felt a fist to the face that threw him down.

"Jaune, you fucktard! You already forgot what I said?!"

"But… the woman was there! I saw her with my own eyes!"

"I told you to not trust your damn eyes, you moron! It was an illusion!"

"But it looked so real!"

"I know! That's why I warned you! What if you fell right into a trap?! Speaking of which..." Braylon spun around, "Where are we?… Looks like a park." A set of stairs led towards another street further up. It was the only available way, as the street that was supposed to be behind them ceased to exist inexplicably. The branches on the trees swung even if there was no wind to move them. His eyes widened.

"Run!"

(Doom – Rip & Tear)

Not giving his colleagues time to react on their own, he pushed them in the direction of the stairs. They ran without questioning his motives. Jaune paused for a moment and dared to look behind. The trees he saw earlier were shaking violently as their roots dug themselves out from earth, giant faces staring in their direction. Jaune's heart began racing and he was close to hyperventilation.

"Move your ass!" Braylon barked, shaking the terrorized knight. One of the Mourning Woods spat flaming spikes in their direction, which they barely avoided as they reached the street. Braylon changed Ajax's Spear with Striker. Now the previously-hidden monsters crawled out from houses, dark corners, piles of waste and sewers, like worms out of woodwork. Soon, a horde of Aetherial Troopers, Abominations, Fleshmenders and three Gigantes hunted them down like a pack of rabid dogs, eager to get their hands on the young souls.

Braylon had to choose where should they go when they reached an intersection. Left path was blocked by a rift hidden behind a cloud of red gas, just like the one they encountered at the village, populated by two humanoids in brown hazmat suits that shambled like Possessed Corpses. Their only choice was to go right, since another horde of monsters was approaching them from the other road. Some houses had fleshy growths on them or had human skin for walls and eyes for windows, screaming from their orifices where doors were supposed to be. It was like the whole town had woken up.

"This is a nightmare! This is a freaking nightmare! Eeek!"

"Inside that house! Hurry!"

Jaune, Braylon and Ren dashed into the only building that didn't look corrupted like the others. The Vault Hunter went in front of the two Huntsmen-in-training, killing two Possessed Corpses that were in the hallway. Their unspoken consensus was to go upstairs. Jaune, being the last to go, looked at the doorway to see if the monsters were close to catching them or not. He almost crapped his pants when a Possessed Huntsman in a long dark blue coat and blue pointed hat stared back with its glowing eyes, hissing like a snake.

"Moortaaal!" It hurled a fireball with its wooden wand. Jaune screamed and jumped upstairs with an agility of a cat. He thought he would sooner die from a heart attack than anything else.

Reaching the roof, they encountered a Fleshmender. Braylon shouted and rushed at the demonic monster, kicking it so hard it fell off the roof and down on the street. He didn't see a Haunted dog flying his way. It was dispersed with the combined firepower of the other two Huntsmen-in-training.

Without thinking too much, they jumped from roof to roof. It was all they could do to avoid being torn apart by the massive horde of eldritch horrors that followed them. Some roofs had mouths that would vomit out Troopers or Abominations as obstacles. Those things weren't enough to stop them. Their luck ran out, however, when they realized that the buildings started moving on their own. What seemed like yet another construction untouched by madness that dwelt in the city was actually a structure that changed its position to lead them towards the horde. Braylon saw their only salvation in the form of a house different from others. It had thousands of fleshy eye-like growths on its wall, all of them staring at the intruders without blinking. The second Braylon stared back, it opened its massive mouth, releasing a long, red tongue on the street like a carpet.

It wanted them in.

They had no choice. Either they would become tired from running and let the monsters get them or they could go into that creepy, possessed building which was definitely not a trap. The answer was obvious; they went towards the house.

"There's so many of them!"

"I know!"

"We can't fight them all!"

"I know that too! Now shut the fuck up and run!"

When their feet ended on top of the tongue, it lifted them up and quickly brought them into itself, like a frog eating an insect, and closed its mouth. They went through a tunnel made of pinkish flesh and reached a platform while trying to ignore the pleading, horrified faces melted into the wall. Finally, they let out a collective sigh of relief, although Braylon saw the thousand-yard stare of his companions.

"Hey, you two alright?" It was a stupid question. Of course they weren't "alright". Everything they saw up to then was something that would haunt them in their dreams, unless he had a way to scoop the memory out of their brains, which was impossible. "I told you not to go, but you didn't listen..." They gave him such a withering look that he had to cringe. "Well, at least we are alive and in one piece. Right? I hope you are read, though. We are about to see some shit. I can feel it."

* * *

The platform brought them in a small room made entirely of pinkish meat. While Jaune and Ren cringed whenever their feet would sink in the flesh, Braylon walked up to an eye on the wall and punched it. The eye closed and an entire wall squirmed away, revealing a gigantic arena under a dome, built from the same material.

"I-impossible..." someone behind Braylon voiced their opinion, he thought it was Jaune.

If he weren't creative enough, he would call that place a stomach. Everything was squishy, wet and bore a disgusting stench. Gigantic ears, eyes and mouths decorated the walls while fangs as tall as a human stuck out of the floor. He wasn't sure what to think of the ceiling. It was so breathtakingly high, it was completely enveloped in darkness. But then there were a dozen of eyes so big that it looked like the ceiling was really close to them and not somewhere in the heavens. Right, he thought, best to leave it at that and not question it further, for his sanity's sake.

He heard something drop behind him. He spun around and found Jaune on his knees, hands in hair.

"I can't take this anymore! It's… it's too much!"

"Jaune..." Braylon called.

"All of this! All of this! It shouldn't..."

"Jaune." Ren tried to console his friend. He gave Braylon a look of worry. Both of them were probably at the edge. It was a mistake to take them along.

"The eyes! I can feel them on me, staring at me, at my soul! They judge and laugh and want me to suffer! I hear them, Braylon! I..."

Braylon slapped Jaune,

"Snap the fuck out of it! Don't fall to the mind games, think of Nora… and Pyrrha, Jaune! Remember your partner Pyrrha?! She needs you!"

Mentioning Pyrrha was like activating a switch in Jaune's brain. The pained cries stopped, with Ren helping his leader to stand up again. Through that act, Braylon was able to see how close were all four to each other. The shared empathy brought them together like a family, where everyone cared for everyone else. If one were to die, it would devastate the remaining three. With the career they had in mind, it was unavoidable.

"Hold still, you two. We may be at the heart of the issue. If we can find out what caused this nightmare, we can save not only the island, but whole Remnant. Now..."

"RRAARRGHH!"

They were taken by surprise when the roar manifested out of nowhere. There was nothing in the entire place that could cause such a sound, a cacophony of people screaming as loud as they could from their throats. Shaken, the trio took their weapons and formed a tiny circle, watching each other's backs. Ren warned other two of an event that was unfolding on one of the walls. Slowly, messily, the wall of flesh split open as if someone with rough and inexperienced hands tried to cut it with a saw, leaving a wound that turned into a bloodfall. The warm, boiling blood was absorbed by the flesh on the floor, like a sponge sucking up water.

"By the gods..."

"Shit..."

Blood wasn't the only thing that leaked out from the wound. The flesh tried to push out something else. Like a mother giving birth to her child, the entire wall vibrated and squeezed itself. With each new thrust, with each squeeze, the object slowly came out while blood still continued to leak. Finally, after what sounded and looked like the most painful moments that wall ever experienced, the object fell out with a loud, wet splash. The teenage minds were immediately bombarded with images of an actual mother giving birth to an actual baby, yet the entire scene looked more like the planet itself just defecated what was supposed to be its inheritor, who turned out to be a sad, misshapen living thing that had no knowledge of itself.

And indeed, the object was a creature. In contrast to nature, where everything had a purpose, this being was the very antithesis to that equation. Braylon, Ren and Jaune noticed the reject's lack of skin, as well as sense and form they could recognize. It was far different from what they saw on the surface. Even those monsters had some kind of purpose. This one had no purpose, no consistency. What they saw could only be described as conjoined torsos with faceless heads, where from each shoulder multiple arms stuck out. Each elbow had multiple forearms and each forearm two to three hands. Three long tentacles sprouting aetherial crystals and a giant cannon covered in melted flesh were its only means of both attack and defense. A jumbled pile of mouths, eyes, skulls and aetherial crystals able to move thanks to dozens of legs who had no connection to each other in either shape or utility.*

Such a grotesque life-form was too much even for the organs on the walls. Mouths opened and began wailing or flailing with flaming, snakelike tongues, ears bled and eyes on the ceiling cried torrents of acid. When it touched the meaty floor, it sizzled despite showing no signs of damage. The whole situation had gone out of control for the three humans, with two of them screaming their souls from the madness that revealed itself to the world.

(Dark Souls – Centipede Demon)

"Run to the cover!"

Terror was the driving force that made them hide behind a giant fang. The entire place became ten times more dangerous. Not only they had to hide from the ten-meter-tall monster, they also had to avoid the environmental threats. Braylon gathered enough courage to search for the monster. He could feel the supernatural fear overwhelming his supernatural anger, which acted as a counter force that watered down the effects on his psyche. Ren and Jaune weren't so lucky. The latter's sword trembled in his hands, almost falling a couple of times.

"No more. No more. No more." he repeated to himself in something like half-whisper. Ren closed his eyes and tried to do some breathing exercises.

Meanwhile, Braylon found the monster. It's sloppy movement was hard to miss. Acting as if in complete ignorance of its circumstances, it wandered around aimlessly, moaning a tune that made no sense to his ears. Materializing Leviathan and loading Fire Dust rockets, the Vault Hunter moved from tooth to tooth, ignoring his comrades' protests. When he came close enough, he fired a volley of rockets which exploded on contact and set it on fire. The eyes stopped leaking acid, the mouths let out horrid screams of pain and the monster swung its body left and right. To make more damage, Braylon switched Leviathan to its grenade launcher mode and reloaded. Two grenades exploded near the creature, covering it in napalm that burned through its flesh.

For a moment, Braylon felt relief. He was smiling, thinking it would be easier than he thought. That was until the monster decided it was time to get serious. With a shriek that summoned a powerful wind, it extinguished the flames that burned its body, even the napalm. It was like the monster received a brief moment of lucidity, because all the eyes on the walls and on ceiling were now focused on the Vault Hunter. His smile faded.

" _Motherfucker..._ "

It's tentacles shook thrice, scattering aetherial crystals that buried themselves into walls and floor. Monster came out from walls and floor moments later, awakening from their slumber. Ren and Jaune, despite the mental strain, fought well against Troopers, Pygmies and Firestarters. It was sad to think they already accepted such horror as normal, dishing out death but also trying to avoid it.

Back to Braylon. The monster aimed its giant cannon in his direction. He shot another grenade. The explosion and napalm made it move its cannon sideways just as it was about to fire. What followed were a bright green flash, a sudden loud noise and a wave of aetherial fire that destroyed those unfortunate enough to stand on its trajectory.

" _I need to come up with something else! Think!_ " he gasped when he noticed a Firestarter dangerously close to him. Thankfully, Jaune was close enough to smack it with his shield. When it fell, he shot it repeatedly, cursing with each energy bullet, " _Wait! That's it!_ "

His solution was Vulcan in its sword mode, loaded with Gravity Dust. Vulcan's blade, thick and wide enough to describe it as more of a slab than an actual sword, became black like the Dust that powered it. That wasn't the only change; Gravity Dust made Vulcan as heavy as a feather. Why? Because it would allow its wielder to throw it like a boomerang. And just like one, it would always return to its user's hands as long as it had Gravity Dust to consume.

For that exact reason Braylon threw his weapon at the monster. It flew through the air, cut down two hands that tried to swat it away, then buried deep into one of its chests. Now came the fun part. The weapon was designed to return to its user, yet it was unable to release itself from the flesh of its target; so when it had to return, it also brought the monster. There was a bit of a struggle from the monster, who clearly had no idea what was going on, but the sheer force of Gravity Dust threw it on the ground with ease.

"Somebody cut those fucking tentacles down!"

Jaune, being closest, used his sword and cut two tentacles while Ren only one, to prevent other creatures from being summoned. Braylon materialized Holo Ripper and used it to kill an Abomination that happened to be near him and the struggling monster. With Vulcan still stuck and Braylon using his holographic chainsaw to cut the flesh as if butchering an animal, in search for a weak point, victory was certain. Ren killed the last Firestarter and Jaune decided to destroy two of the monster's arms to relieve his mind of all the stress he had gone through, though it went sloppier than he expected due to the ever-present supernatural fear.

None of them expected a payback. Braylon and Jaune were swatted away with two mighty backhands across the area. They both found out that its touch was corrosive to the soul, resulting in extreme pain. This was especially true for Braylon who suffered even more due to Song of Malevolence's special effect, something he had no knowledge of. It was so bad, he was put temporarily out of the fight. As for the monster, it detached its upper body from the fleshy platform, grew wings and took flight. The conjoined torsos were ripped apart, revealing a heart that connected them through several large veins. It had three aetherial crystal clusters growing on its surface.

Vulcan fell from the monster, all Dust finally drained from the canister. Only Ren remained standing. He knew his automatic handguns didn't have enough stopping power to finish it off. It wasn't enough to stop him from shooting at the heart. Hiding from the monster's hand-cannon attack, Ren thought of a strategy that wouldn't include his other two teammates, who were most likely unable to help. Jumping out from his cover, Lie Ren saw the monster ripping a fang from the floor, to throw it at him. Suddenly, several plasma shots hit its back. It turned around and saw a wounded Jaune barely standing on his feet.

"Not… enough… to finish me off!" he proclaimed, raising his sword dramatically, "I won't go down as long as I breathe!"

" _Perfect! Thanks Jaune!_ "

Ren knew his leader's intention, so he jumped on top of a fang and used it to jump even higher. With the help of StormFlower's blades, he damaged some of the wings, making it loose balance and fall on the ground with the giant tooth on top, blocking any movements. Jaune, picking up Vulcan, headed over to the monster's grotesque heart. Any hand that would try to stop him met Ren's blades.

"This is for Nora!"

Jaune destroyed one cluster with Vulcan. Screams could be heard coming from the walls as the eyes on the ceiling started leaking acid again.

"This is for Pyrrha!"

Second cluster was destroyed. The entire place shook.

"And this is for the village you destroyed! Aargh!"

When the last crystal cluster was broken into pieces, both Ren and Jaune heard a high-pitched shriek as a wave of aetherial energy spread across the entire place and through the walls. The results could be seen immediately. Everything made out of meat began decomposing at incredibly-fast rates. An earthquake cracked the stone-hard floor that used to be as soft as a pillow. If there was blood, now it was gone.

"Braylon!" Jaune called his companion, "Braylon! Where are you?!"

"We have to go, Jaune! The entire place is about to collapse!"

"I'm not leaving this place until I find him! Braylon!"

Three pillars of bright, orange light broke through the floor. Jaune didn't know what that was, but he insisted on searching for Braylon. In that moment of panic and hastiness, they failed to connect the dots. They failed to understand, that with the core monster dead, reality was free from molestation forced upon it, and now it sought to restore the natural balance. The not-quite-dead aetherial monstrosities on the surface were put to rest, as were all tortured souls that were unable to reach the afterlife for one reason or another. All the city could offer were mounds of dead meat and the smell of rot that accompanied it.

The pillars of orange light were manifested energies that came from Hell, unleashed when the current reality began breaking down. While they searched for Braylon, they could feel an entire spectrum of negative emotions at the corners of their consciousness at once. It was painful for their already questionable sanity, yet they decided to keep going no matter what. Things took a turn for the worse when those energies mixed with the leftovers of the aetherial energy, causing the pillars to expand until they enveloped the entire place, much to the teenagers' horror.

* * *

(Doom – Victory)

Darkness was all Jaune and Ren saw. None of them dared to speak, none of them dared to ask questions. Braylon was still out cold.

Everything became red. Contours began to form. First objects appeared. Mountains, valleys, lakes. All red. Warm. Hot. Unbearably hot.

Despair, pain, fire, hatred, fury, hunger…

Monsters?

No…

Demons. Two eyes in the distance...

" _Long shall be your suffering, mortal worms! We shall strip your worlds of all life created by Him! You will beg for death to come and take you away from the nightmares we will create! Your hearts will decorate our shrines! The very idols you worship will bring your doom!_ _ **There is nothing you can do to stop your oblivion! Hell will be unleashed upon all that is**_ **mortal!** "

Screams.

* * *

With a blink, it was all gone. Had they imagined it all?!

Their screams attracted fearful glances of innocent bystanders. They all thought someone let two nutty freaks into society, and now they harmed a person!

"Somebody call the police!" a woman screamed.

Jaune, oblivious to his surroundings, fell on his knees, babbling and crying. He let Vulcan drop beside him. Ren was the first to calm down. Although shaken, he noticed how the woman was screaming something in a language he didn't understand. Only now he realized how the city was far different from the one they left! Where were they, actually?!

How convenient, Braylon woke up.

"Fuuuck… I can't move..." he opened his eyes, "Wut? Where are we?"

"Braylon!"

"Ow… I can hear you well, Ren. No need to shout… What happened?"

"I don't… we are… somewhere else… I think? I don't know anymore."

"Somewhere el-hold a fucking minute! What did you just say?!"

"There they are! Arrest them!" a man in a business suit pointed at them.

"What?! What did we do?!" Braylon replied.

"You know that language?"

"Uh, yeah? It's Japanese… not a weeaboo, by the way."

"What did he say?"

"Let me be for one fucking minute, okay?! My head's all fucked up and… and..." Braylon squinted, "Wait, hold on. Did you go to the gym lately?"

"...I'm sorry?"

"Don't make me repeat myself, damn it!"

"What does this have to do with anything?!"

"Jaune's ripped too! The fuck?" Braylon checked himself, "Where do these muscles come from? And why do I feel like I'm suddenly taller?"

Ren blinked, "Hmm… Now that you mention it..."

"Can you stop with that dramatic pose, please? There is absolutely no need for that right now. _And it's fucking gay._ "

"You are the one to talk."

"Whatever." Braylon turned around, "Let me see if I can find… hey! Hey! Get your hands off me!"

"Morioh Police! You are under arrest!"

Two policemen handcuffed Braylon, Ren and Jaune, who was still crying. Braylon tried to understand why were they being arrested when suddenly a house caught fire! Those few people that came to stare at the three strangers now ran away. Braylon used the confusion to knock out the two idiots and free himself from the handcuffs.

"GROOARGHHHRGH! URP!"

(Yes – Roundabout)

Fear appeared once again as all three, even Jaune, stared at the burning house, where the noise came from. They saw a large-as-hell silhouette slowly moving out from the inferno. Each step forward looked like the thing would sink into the earth due to how heavy it is.

"They are here too?!"

"*sigh*...It's all so fucking tiresome..."

The thing was a fatty with a large green eye and a gaping mouth, covered in armor that would make a tank jealous, yet not enough to cover that disgusting beer belly. Did I say it had two fucking cannons for hands?**

Posing dramatically for no reason whatsoever, they prepared for the fight. Ren pulled the triggers, but his guns weren't working! Jaune brought forward Braylon's empty Vulcan. Meanwhile, the fat demon groaned happily, ready to roast his next meal.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

 **First chapter posted in 2019,** **part four out of five** **!** **Somewhere near summer, I should be able to write at least two chapters per month, though I am not certain.**

 **Here you could witness some special effects of Fire and Gravity Dust on Leviathan and Vulcan. On Leviathan, Fire Dust makes rockets explode on contact with a surface and set everything close to them on fire while grenades explode and release napalm. I came up with this idea thanks to grenade mods from Borderlands. On Vulcan, that same Fire Dust would just turn it into a flamethrower. Gravity Dust is another story. Though I don't know how to combine this type of Dust with Leviathan, I found a way to use it on Vulcan's sword mode.** **Basically, it turns t** **he sword into a lethal boomerang.**

 **The first Mancubus in the story showed up! I decided to use the Doom (2016) Mancubus for the first version, the weakest of the tribe. The Cyber-Mancubus will fall under the "Cyborg" tribe of demons that will show up a bit later.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #90:** Aetherial Conglomerate

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption – Hero

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Promises of power and prestige are easy bait for mortals. In some cases, individuals wish for sorcerous powers in exchange for something, usually unaware of the fate of their soul after such pacts. Yet sometimes one can find a group of mortals who form cults to honor what they claim to be deities. Should they attract the attention of a particularly sadistic brother, they will perform rituals_ _prescribed to them without knowing the outcomes. Some like to make up "rituals" which serve no purpose other than to drag the involved mortals further into the pit of their own making. But not every brother behaves like that. Sometimes, a brother will show his gratitude to the followers, giving them blessings they can't refuse, then laugh maniacally_ _when the mortals find out that the game was rigged from the start._ "

* * *

** **Entry #91:** Mancubus

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Gluttony._ _A Mancubus represents that sin in the truest sense of the word. The need to devour things became their only preoccupation in life. For a Mancubus, the greatest achievement lies in giving their taste buds more food, different food. Food that would give pleasure to the brains of their manifestations. It will eat anything, even rotten remains, just to feel something new each time it moves that putrid jaw. The cannons are just a bonus for them. They don't see them as instruments of destruction but rather a tool that would give them a different kind of lunch each time they use them._ _This impulsive need to eat is so abnormal, that it is the only reason why they are hard to defeat in battle. Sometimes even decapitation won't be enough. Because of their extravagant diet, their stomachs became carriers of various diseases. Remember that, when you decide to split it open._ " (bonus damage resistance, deals incendiary damage with cannons)


	32. Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town

(Kevin Macleod – Itty Bitty 8 Bit)

"Oi, Josuke, check out this radio!"

"Woah."

"I know, right? It sure is expensive, though."

"I can always ask… nevermind."

"Huh? Do you hear that?"

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh-!"

"Aah!"

Josuke never expected someone to tackle him with the brutality of a rugby player. He wasn't one to hold grudges over small incidents like that, but damn if he was going to let that asshole and his buddies run away with it without apologizing! That's just rude!

"Oi! We should give 'em a lesson they won't forget!" his friend, Okuyasu, voiced Josuke's opinion. He was really glad to have a friend like that.

" _Wonder why were they running like that..._ "

BOOM!

"What was that?!"

* * *

Braylon, Ren and Jaune hid into a tiny alleyway. They had no idea if the Mancubus was following them nor they had the intention of finding out. Nobody has balls that squared to stay near something that has two fucking cannons for hands and is fat enough to rival a feminist. Braylon shared the same sentiment.

"Holy fuck!" he gasped, gripping his head, "Did you see how fat it was! That shit was huge!"

His teammates, who had problems of their own, didn't bother to answer. Jaune, after Vulcan was snatched away from his hands from one greedy Vault Hunter, sat on the ground with his back against the wall and sighed, too fucked up to say anything. Ren, on the other hand, checked his StormFlower.

"I don't understand… my guns aren't working."

"Did you check their condition lately?"

"Yes, before we departed. They didn't jam, though."

"Huh, then what?"

"Nothing. I keep pressing the trigger but it's nothing."

"Hmm… Hey Jaune."

"What?" came as a quiet whisper from the blond.

"Can you check your sword and shield to see if they work?"

Jaune tried lazily to activate his shield. After the second attempt, he simply replied: "Doesn't work."

"I see. Could Dust be the problem?"

"What do you mean?" asked Ren.

"I remember reading somewhere about a theory that Dust doesn't work outside Remnant's atmosphere. It becomes inert."

"Looks like that theory is true..."

"You can still use your blades though."

"I'm not sure I want to go anywhere near that monster with just my blades. Or any monster that is… not-Grimm, for that matter."

"That reminds me; can you use your Aura?"

"… I can."

"At least something. You two are a hindrance to me right now." the look they gave him told how they knew that, "I'm sorry. But I'll take it from here."

"You?" Jaune asked, "What can you do on your own? You'll get killed."

"I'll… I'll find a way."

" _Aren't we confident._ "

Braylon's eyes widened slightly.

" _It's you! Why were you absent for so long?_ "

"What's on your mind?"

" _I was busy with more important matters that required my full attention._ "

" _So, you could contact me but you didn't?_ "

" _Of course._ "

"You two stay behind cover at all times. Jaune has my Pistol but it won't be enough for the tougher ones. _I thought all this Maiden bullshit was important to you._ "

"So you will go out there, fighting on your own?"

" _Not enough as_ _you think it is. It would be a minor setback at best and a waste of time at worst._ "

"Yes. I'm enough experienced to deal with anything that comes my way. I hope. _So you won't help me?_ "

" _I didn't know you need someone to hold your hand through every problem you face. Also, these are my brothers we are talking about. As much as I despise them, we do share a common goal. We just don't agree on the methods._ "

" _Then why did you help me get out of Hell?_ "

" _Don'_ _t think that you can get out of this place without consequences. You will return back here, sooner or later. It is unavoidable._ "

" _Answer my question, damn it! Hey!_ "

"GROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"

Like that, an awfully-loud demon expressed his rage, which in humanspeak would sound something along the lines of: "If I find you, I am gonna rip your tiny balls and shove them down your throat while I turn your spine into a coat hanger that won't be worth shit." It was so loud that everything made of glass was shattered into pieces. The earth trembled and the sky distorted for a second.

That is to say, it was absolutely fucking scary.

"That's a strong one alright. I think I wet my pants. Damn it, I really did." Braylon smiled ironically, "Welp, if I fail, you are on your own."

"W-wait…! Braylon!"

But our hero refused to listen. So he went on the street and materialized Ajax's Spear.

* * *

Morioh was one of those places on Earth which had a reputation for attracting really bizarre shit. That reputation would only be known to its inhabitants, who were bizarre themselves, might we add crazy. No, there were no cat ladies or asshole neighbors in the summer of _that_ year. It was relatively quiet and peaceful, almost boring really. But then, why it attracted bizarre shit? Well, it all started with this kid named Josuke Higashikata, called JoJo by every wannabe bully ever, who… was pretty damn special. Not special as in "nerdy bookworm with excellent grades" special, but special as in "hey, I have superpowers which make me totally awesome" special!

Maybe we should explain. On a bright sunny day (or was it raining?) this kid learned that he had a buddy he called Crazy Diamond. A buddy so special, nobody could see him (we are not making fun of crazy people, keep reading dumbass). This buddy became his special bodyguard. He could throw punches like you wouldn't believe. He could also fix something he punched! For quite some time Josuke thought he was the only one with such a buddy! That was until everything turned to shit when a member of his family, a guy named Jotaro Kujo (which was, coincidentally, also named JoJo by assholes and friends alike), showed up. After that, he found two more friends who had these buddies, called Stands, and now he had to FIGHT ALIENS WHO CAME TO CONQUER MORIOH!

…

Alright. We will explain that too.

(Doom 2 – Message For The Arch-Vile)

About three minutes after the explosion, he and his friend Okuyasu (one of the friends we mentioned earlier) were attacked by creatures he first thought were someone's Stand. But after he started fighting them seriously, he discovered they weren't a Stand at all. They bled and behaved like living beings. So what the hell were they? His answer: aliens. Not those "we come in peace" or "I'll probe your ass" but actual aliens!

"J-Josuke! I think I wet my pants!"

"Not now, Okuyasu! Hyaa!" Crazy Diamond punched a brown humanoid until it fell on the ground. Another one threw a freaking _fireball_ at him, though he was faster and dodged it with ease. Josuke's Stand punched this other brown humanoid so hard it went flying into a store. You have to understand that Josuke was a pacifist. He would never kill anything, not even a sworn enemy. But something was off with those aliens. Whenever one was close, he would start freaking out more than he was actually scared! Maybe they had Stands as well…

"Josuke! Behind you!"

Josuke turned and, holy shit, there was a green-skinned one who had only a mouth (!), running towards him like a car! If it weren't for Okuyasu, he would have been dead on the spot.

Okuyasu Nijimura. He was a dumbass. Even Josuke had to admit. People like Okuyasu usually have really strong luck that makes up for their lack of brains. In his case, luck gave him a Stand he called The Hand. Basically, it was a humanoid reality-eraser. Unbelievable, right? The Stand's right hand could erase everything that came to contact with it, even _reality_. Too bad its user had a double-digit IQ. He saved Josuke by allowing The Hand to erase half of the alien's face. It wasn't even intentional. Okuyasu did it only because he was scared as fuck and nothing smart came to his mind. The blood that gushed out was another thing.

"Shit! I just washed my damn uniform!" complained Josuke, completely ignoring the fact that he and his friend had to deal with demons from Hell. Some people can be so obsessed with their looks.

"S-sorry Jo-Aaah!" Okuyasu received a plasmaball to the back, courtesy of a monkey-like Vulgar.

"GROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"

"Now what?!" An Eurynomus grabbed Josuke's leg while he was distracted by the sudden noise that spread through whole Morioh. "Argh! Screw you!" Crazy Diamond kicked the tiny demon like a ball, away from his user.

"Hah hah hah!" The infamous, sadistic War Elemental showed up to the party, bringing two Dark Souls with it.

" _They can fly too?!_ "

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The bastards had them both trapped! Worst of all, he would die with the thought of being unable to help his friend!

RATATATATA!

Two Grunts exploded into piles of gore. All demons turned their heads to see who did that. This allowed Crazy Diamond to punch the Vulgar away, retrieve Okuyasu and jump over a nearby wooden fence. Somone came to their aid, but who? Josuke had to see before he jumped.

"Oh! It's the asshole!"

* * *

The Vault Hunter expected more demons than he actually fought. He was sure they were hiding somewhere, waiting for the moment he would drop his guard so they could buttfuck him into oblivion. Metaphorically speaking. The presence of pleb-tier fodder, such as Bull Demons and Imp Grunts, and their relatively low numbers, made him think the invasion started recently. This view was further compelled when he noticed the lack of reality-bending phenomenons. So, of course, it begged the question: "Did they follow us here or there is another reason unknown to him?"

Having no time to contemplate about his place in the multiverse, he had to watch out for demons you see, Braylon's thoughts returned to the landwhale called Mancubus. Although he had to run like a pussy to avoid the ginormous fireballs it crapped out, he was able to see metallic tubes sticking out of its body. Conclusion: the demons were using technology to make cyborgs.

 _Fuck_.

Could it be a problem in the future? Absolutely. Demons were very creative when it came to destruction. How far it would go? It was probably a good idea to avoid such distracting thoughts in the middle of a battlefield.

"Wraargh!"

He heard a high-pitched shriek coming out from a house. Wishing to investigate the noise, he approached the door only to be thrown away as said door exploded.

" _That can't be good..._ "

Cracking of bones followed the whirring of a machine. Walking out from the smokescreen was one tall skeleton with a _jet-pack and two shoulder-mounted rocket launchers_. Two green irises stared him as if he were mere trash.*

" _That's definitely not good!_ "

You cannot outrun rockets. That is a fact. Braylon was blown away by two of them even before he had a chance to stand up. For a creature to have such firepower, he didn't feel the supernatural fear as he did with demons. No supernatural fear meant that the skeleton wasn't a demon, but another demonic creation. No supernatural fear also meant he could feel the supernatural rage.

And boy, was he pissed off.

The spooky, scary skeleton grabbed him by the leg and tossed him at a wall, much like when you throw a pen that outlived its usefulness. He felt none of the punishment because the Shield absorbed it all. Also, he felt no damage inflicted on his soul. It was going to be a normal fight for once! Now there is something you don't hear often!

Braylon hadn't predicted Jaune's idiotic move; to fire into the back of the creature with the Plasma Pistol. As you probably thought, it was not really useful, though it was a wonderful distraction. A quick look to the left and Braylon saw a Ravager Demon, charging without a care in the world.

Perfect! Braylon jumped on his feet, damaged the skeleton's jet-pack with Ajax's Spear and kicked it towards the pinkish demon, who simply caught it and moved forward, hitting a parked car. He materialized a grenade and threw it. Kaboom. Two birds with one stone.

Alright, where should he go now? Shit, he forgot! Maybe those two idiots in uniforms from back then were in trouble! Going through the same road, he encountered said people, now surrounded on all sides by demons. He had no idea how they survived for so long nor did he care at the moment. He had to act!

RATATATATA!

The Ajax's Spear roared through the abandoned street, killing two Grunts. As he, like an idiot, ran forward, one of them _levitated_ over a fence. The other hesitated to jump.

"Oh! It's the asshole!"

"Who are you calling an asshole, asshole?!" He threw another grenade and kept firing, A Vulgar and a Bull Demon blew up. The War Elemental released two more Dark Souls before it flew away. Braylon destroyed one and fired at the Elemental, but missed. His biggest mistake was to ignore the Dark Souls. It was too late to remember their special ability.

The three skull-shaped demons merged into a whirlpool of green fire, out of which came a figure similar to an Agent of Apocalypse, but taller, more hulking and with eight horns attached to an extended skull. Two giant wings were strapped to its back. Eyes, hands, legs and markings on the body blazed green. The ritual was complete and the new demon set its hooves on the ground. Braylon swore the trees in the background suddenly became dead. **

"Hah hah hah hah ha!" It bellowed, living in the moment. Braylon quickly averted his gaze, trying to see whether that person escaped or not. He did. Awesome. One less thing to worry about.

The demon threw a green sphere into the air. It broke into eight smaller spheres, throwing themselves at Braylon. Those that failed to hit him went through ground without disturbing it. Three scored a clear hit. He went down, desperately clinging to a life he could feel slipping away. It was as if the damage was amplified by something and now became extremely bad for his health. The ground began glowing green. A circle formed around his body.

He was totally screwed.

* * *

Wow. That guy wasn't just an asshole. He was also an idiot.

Josuke never thought aliens could do what he was able to see through the wooden fence. It was probably some technology he would never be able to understand. Just like in the movies.

Okuyasu's uniform now had a hole. Oh well, he would fix it later. Okuyasu himself was still unconscious. No serious wounds. That was a relief. But the stranger was in big trouble! He would be damned if he let that person die!

Right now the alien formed a green circle around the stranger, probably to harm him even more. Josuke quickly concluded that if he wanted to save both Okuyasu and the stranger, he had to challenge the alien to a deathmatch. If only Jotaro was there with him…

Jumping once again over the fence, Josuke ran towards the alien. As soon as he was withing range, Crazy Diamond cocked back his right fist and pushed it forward as fast as it could. However, the alien quickly turned around and caught Crazy Diamond's fist!

" _It can see my Stand?!_ "

The alien, now pissed off, returned the favor. Crazy Diamond flew backwards. Because a Stand and its user share the pain, Josuke felt the same damn pain as his Stand. Unlike Josuke, Crazy Diamond could stand up.

" _D-damn it! That was brutal._ "

He was going to die. The pain was horrible. Now he knew how the stranger felt. The alien was coming closer…

"Josuke!"

" _Koichi?_ "

He couldn't believe it! Koichi found him! And Jotaro too! How convenient!

"Good work, Echoes!"

Jotaro said nothing. His Stand, Star Platinum, would talk for him. Unlike Crazy Diamond, Star Platinum was a master at delivering pain to his targets.

"No! Don't come closer!"

And like Crazy Diamond, Star Platinum did the same mistake.

"Hah hah hah hah!" The alien laughed as it blocked even Star Platinum's attack.

"Tsk!" But Jotaro had none of that bullshit, so his Stand delivered a series of fast punches. This time, however, the bastard formed a green shield around it! The shield exploded outwards and Star Platinum was thrown away.

"Jotaro!"

"Heh! It's fine! This guy, though… what the hell is he?"

It brought the hands together, creating two fireballs that spun around each other, forming a spiral that went towards Koichi. If it weren't for Star Platinum, who pushed him away, Koichi would explode like that car behind them. Seeing that a normal fight wouldn't get him anywhere, Jotaro decided to use Star Platinum's ability.

"Star Platinum! The World!"

Everything ground to a halt. This was Star Platinum's ability; time freeze. Jotaro's Stand could freeze time, even if for few seconds. But those few seconds were enough for him to end the fight. Star Platinum unleashed all his power on the defenseless alien, without restraint, ending with a fist that pierced through its chest just as returned to normal.

"Hraaaaaarghough!?"

For having such a deep voice, its shrill scream of surprise and anger was quite disturbing. Green fire and light erupted from the hole in its chest until the markings, eyes and limbs lost their color. When the body became an empty husk, it crumbled into tiny black pebbles.

"Whoa! Jotaro, you did it!" Koichi praised, only to be met with a glare.

"We didn't win. There are more of them all over Morioh." He walked towards the stranger. "Something tells me we will get our answers from him… and his friends over there."

"Huh?" Koichi blinked. "Where? Oh! Wait, I can see them! Hey, you!"

There were two of them, hidden behind a car. When they heard Koichi, they raised their hands up and said something he didn't understand.

"What's wrong with them? Ugh, something smells horrible here!"

* * *

"Hnng… hm…?"

"Oh, you're awake."

"Jaune?..."

Braylon felt comfy laying on a very soft couch. It was rare for him to feel that way lately. He would gladly spend the whole day on that couch, but duty was duty. With a heavy sigh, he stood up, sad that he had to leave such a luxury so fast.

"It's okay. That demon is gone. They defeated him."

"They? Who..." His eyes fell upon the Japanese people in the background. "...How?"

"One of them knew our language, as strange as it sounds." Jaune replied. "I guess we owe you an explanation."

Jaune told him how he and Ren watched the fight from their cover, too afraid to do anything with just the Energy Pistol. He told him how they used something called Stand, to which Braylon expressed his worry for Jaune, thinking he finally lost his sanity because he saw nothing of what Jaune described.

"You can't see them?"

"Should I?"

"Hmm. I wonder why you can't see them." Ren said from his chair.

"Does it have to do with you and Ren being able to use your souls as shields?"

"I don't know. I just want to go home."

"We will, Jaune. I will bring us back."

"How? By getting your butt handed to you again?"

"What's the problem now?"

"The problem, is…!" Jaune glanced at the strangers. "We will talk later. Can you speak with them?"

"Yes." Braylon waved. "You four! Can we talk?"

The one with the peace sign on his chest responded.

"Are you alright?"

"Yup. As good as new."

"Your friends told us some really interesting stuff. They said you would explain it better. Start talking."

He really began to dislike the one in white with that bandit attitude. Rather than start a fight, though, he decided it was better to cooperate and solve the issue. In the next fifteen minutes he explained their side of the story. They weren't exactly willing to accept the fact that he and the other two Huntsman-in-training were from another reality or the fact that those things that invaded the town were demons and not aliens or "Stand". Only the guy called Jotaro was the most accepting of such ideas. He must have seen some absolute bullshit in his life.

Everyone became all ears when Braylon said he had a way to stop the invasion and go back to Remnant. Since demons were an anomaly in that reality, because of their condition, they needed a mediator to keep them there. That mediator was the Dark Obelisk. If luck was on their side, and most of the time it wasn', they would find it in that reality, destroy it and everything would be normal again. Should that not be the case, he would go through the Dark Totem into the reality where the Dark Obelisk resides and do the process mentioned above. To find it, they simply had to follow the demonic wave.

"Man… Morioh really attracts bizarre stuff..." Koichi chuckled awkwardly.

"GRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARGGGGHHHHH!"

Everything was shaking! Everything became red! Oh fuck!

No, seriously. The entire fucking house shook like a tower of cards. Everyone's vision turned red during the duration of the rage expressed in that roar, so it wasn't a hallucination. It also felt hotter, like the room temperature suddenly jumped into thirty degrees. Then poof! It was all gone!

"...What… the fuck..."

"That's a strong one." Braylon voiced his thoughts. "Strong enough to alter reality."

BOOOM!

The wall on their right came down as if a wrecking ball hit it. Everyone instinctively went for cover, behind the couch.

"Shit! They found us!"

"That thing's huge!"

"Sit the fuck down!"

The perpetrator resembled a cross between Bull and a Ravager Demon with blue skin and four yellow eyes, but larger and more threatening. Unlike the beastly noises its counterparts made, this demon produced something between a deep hum and a wail that could only belong to a ghost. ***

"Did it see us?" Jaune whispered to Braylon.

"How should I know?! They crap out stronger versions with every chance they get. I don't -"

"Uuuaaargh!"

Usually when a tornado passes through a house, that house becomes a useless pile of stuff. This situation was no different. The wall behind them crumbled into bricks that ended up in a house on the other side of the street, priceless furniture became shit you could sell at a garage sale, the couch exploded and our heroes were all thrown outside like garbage.

"Sonic attack." Braylon nodded, happy that his Shield saved his ass. "That was a sound-based attack. Fuck me sideways." He, like everyone else, lay on the ground, surprised by the unexpected circumstances. "Stupid question. Is everyone okay?"

"We're… good. Blergh!" Jaune groused. "Gods, my head is still spinning..."

"Ah… ah… my hand's broken." Complained Okuyasu. "Josuke… help."

"Sure… just give me a moment… oh man..."

"If it weren't for Echoes, I would be dead."

"Hmph." Jotaro scowled, unwilling to share his experience. Was this guy a 90's antihero or something?

Braylon got up first, being the one who suffered less than others. " _That wasn't something that hurt our souls._ _It's a physical attack only._ " It came out from the ruins. " _Time to… huh?!_ " Before he blinked, he found himself face-to-face with the demon.

"Uuuaargh!"

"SSSSHHHHIIIIIIiiiii…!"

"Uh, Braylon?" Jaune asked, distraught. Braylon dissapeared. "Braylon… Brayloooon?!"

Others cursed under their breath. They just saw a creature _teleport_ in front of a person… and than said person just fucking vanished!

"Braylon!" Jaune continued howling. He suddenly stood up, grabbed the Enrgy Pistol and fired at the demon. "What have you done to Braylon!? What have you done?! You piece of shit!" The plasma bullets were far too weak to melt through the chitinous armor, who spun around. Jaune kept pressing the trigger over and over. Others were silent. Jotaro walked towards the beast, hands in pockets, hat hiding his eyes.

"Good grief..."

"Uua-"

"ORA!"

Driving his knee into the demonic jaw, Star Platinum closed that damn mouth with such force that the sharpest teeth were stuck in the skull, effectively sewing the mouth shut. Man, that's a trip to the ICU.

"You are a pain in the ass."

"ORA!" Left hook. "ORA!" Right hook. "ORA!" Left hook. "ORA!" Right hook.

"ORA!"

Star Platinum's final attack was an uppercut to the fucked up demonic face. Bones cracked loudly as the fist went deeper into the skull, until the head popped open. The demon flew backwards two meters, covered in its green blood.

But celebration had to wait.

"There's another one!" Josuke stuttered. Fear was affecting him. Even Jotaro, the stoic of the bunch, seethed. Something was lumbering their way. A bipedal creature with hooves for feet, legs covered in gray fur. The upper body was bare naked, with a skin resembling gold, where each muscle had more muscle. And lastly, the head, a combination of feline and caprine features, with ruby red horns and eyes. Shackles decorated its throat, arms and legs. ****

"GRRRROOOAAAAAAARRGH!"

All houses in the street crashed down simultaneously. The asphalt cracked, in some places sank, making a potential hazard for every car in Morioh. Blood rained from the sky.

"T-this power!" Jaune gulped. "Unbelievable!"

They could feel rage oozing from the demon. It could warp reality itself.

"Koichi. Okuyasu." Josuke began. His Crazy Diamond healed Okuyasu. "Take the strangers with you and everyone else you can find into safety."

"But what about you?"

"Go! People might need help!"

Koichi new shit just got real when that demon showed up. He wanted to help his friends, so he listened Josuke and ran with others, away from Jotaro and Josuke, who stood behind and faced the threat with their powerful Stands.

"You go too."

"What? And I should leave all fun to you? No way! I'll wipe the floor with this guy!"

"..."

(Insert whatever you find appropriate)

It's fists burned with blood red fire. That brute had no intention of giving up. Boom. Boom. Each hoofstep echoed through the ruins. The horrible roar was the only warning both JoJo's ever got, because one of its fists smashed the earth, creating a shockwave identical to a bomb dropped by a warplane. Crazy Diamond was the one who saved their asses, as it punched the ground and restored it to form a thick enough wall seconds before the impact, Though it crumbled, it was enough to keep them safe.

They never expected to see it charging at them like a psychopath on drugs.

A fist connected to Star Platinum's stomach. Jotaro and his Stand went flying.

"Jotaro!"

Josuke's instincts told him to turn his head. The demon was ready to hit him too! Crazy Diamond grabbed Josuke and threw him away. It was unplanned and the landing was rough, but effective at avoiding the fist of death.

" _Crap! It's seriously fast!_ " It turned his way. " _I have to heal Jotaro!_ " He found Jotaro laying in the ruins of a house twenty meters away from them. " _But how?!_ "

He then got an idea. The demon was fast, but his Stand was faster. Sending Crazy Diamond into the fray, he used the Stand's powers to punch the ground as much as possible while also avoiding the never-ending attacks from the aggressor. Acquiring as much asphalt as possible, Crazy Diamond restored it around the demon's legs, enough to stop a tank from moving. It roared angrily.

Josuke reached Jotaro. "You alright?" It was a rhetorical question. Of course Jotaro wasn't alright. He trembled, failing to hide pain. Even when Crazy Diamond healed his physical injuries, Jotaro had a hard time standing up.

"Damn it..." he spat.

Their conversation stopped when it broke free and ran towards them, like a really pissed off bull.

"Star Platinum! The World!"

Time stopped again. To Jotaro's surprise, however, the demon wasn't affected as expected. Instead of stopping completely, its speed was slowed down to a crawl. It was a sign that Jotaro had to act before it was late. Star Platinum punched its head hundred times, before it had to move. It then went behind the demon and grabbed its head. In the last second, Star Platinum used his immense strength to break its neck.

"GRRRAAAAARGGHH!"

Falling on the ground with a loud thud, the demonic scream restored the street and sky to its original state. Black blood poured from the injured head. It could as well be oil for all they knew.

"...Huh? Oh, you got him! Phew! For a moment I thought we were goners!"

"...hm?" Jotaro's expression turned even darker than usual.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not over." Black and white fire erupted from the corpse. Josuke and Jotaro distanced themselves from the supernatural bonfire, disturbed by the sudden development. The fear they felt skyrocketed.

"Give me a break already..."

"..."

The sky became inky black, as if sun and moon switched places, except neither of them were visible. Like Jotaro said, it wasn't over. Their opponent, he grasped, was about to get an upgrade. And not a lovely one either, judging by the creepy-as-fuck levitation that was going on. Gray fur became white as a sheet, golden skin turned black. Its head became a barren skull, burning in black fire, with only two white pinpricks for eyes. During the transformation, the environment also changed. Huge chunks of almost every house were flying in the air or disappeared without a trace, cars from the nearby streets barked like dogs, lava leaked from cracks in the ground. *****

"RRRRAAAARRRGGGH!"

Even its voice changed. It was even deeper, louder, aggressive.

"Jotaro?"

"..."

"...I am not backing down from this fight." said Josuke, his legs trembling, "I _will_ beat this monster, no matter how strong he is. The future of everyone we care about is at stake."

"Right. This one already lost when it pissed me off. Nothing on this world will stop me from punching that ugly face."

(Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable – Great Days (UNITS ver.))

With a cry that spelled "I'm gonna floss with your spine", the resurrected demon galloped forward, faster than before. Its fist, while tearing a hole through reality like The Hand could, missed both of them, thanks to their Stands.

"Star Platinum! The World!"

Shock! It was unaffected by Star Platinum's ability!

The demon and Star Platinum exchanged few punches, both missing to hit the other due to their great agility and evasive speed. They were evenly matched. To a human, the entire scene would be one big blur. That changed when the time freeze effect stopped and Crazy Diamond joined the battle. Whenever the demon tried to hit one, the other would launch a sneak attack. After repeating the same strategy for three more times, it became so furious that the fire that burned its skull increased in volume.

In a blink of an eye, it managed to grab both Star Platinum and Crazy Diamond by the throat, squeezing like a hydraulic press. Josuke and Jotaro fell on their knees, unable to breathe. Until…

"Star… Finger!"

Two fingers of Jotaro's Stand went through the skull like bullets. The demon, wordlessly, dropped the Stands, who prepared themselves for synchronized attacks. First, a left and right hook, followed by a double uppercut, consecutive punches for five damn minutes without restraining even an ounce of their power, and ending in double cross that shattered the damaged skull into pieces. The flames were gone with the skull, white blood replacing black. Reality restored itself once again.

"Did we win?"

"...Yes. We did."

Jotaro turned around. He heard explosions and screams in the distance. Looks like Morioh was still under attack by demonic forces. They needed to find others, including the stranger that was catapulted away by that sonic attack. If he was still alive, that is. Jotaro was skeptical about that possibility, since the stranger obviously lacked a Stand.

"Josuke, we need to go."

"Yes, I know. There's more of them everywhere. It's starting to be a pain in the ass."

"Good grief."

* * *

 **This is where the arc officially ends. I want the boss fight to be a two-chapter arc for itself,** **for reasons you will (hopefully) read when they come out. As always, there will be action and violence. And yes, the change in the writing style is intentional. It won't last in the future, you don't have to worry.**

 **I like the Revenant from 2016 Doom, so I decided it will be the second in "Revenant" group of monsters, the first being Fury. The blue one is the third and final "Pinky" version and he resembles the Pinky sprite from Doom 64, with blue skin, four eyes and green blood instead of red.**

 **Next chapter:** **Behind the Curtain**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #92:** Revenant

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Apparently some humans thought it would be a good idea to equip some of their most unstable individuals with combat gear and throw them in chambers where they would receive a heavy bombardment of energies that reside within this cursed prison. Mortals never learn, do they? You wish you had that jet pack._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #93:** Minister of Death

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:**

Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Not everyone is always faithful to a cause, especially when the outcome is being kicked into a jail for all eternity. A group of brothers, angry at you-know-who, decided to rebel against everyone else, thinking that Anathema would give them the benefit of the doubt. They didn't understand that the trouble we caused was something mortals could never recover from, leading them to their current miserable existence. Once you fall down here, there is no going out. We had to shove this rule into them as the Dark Lord ordered their torture that lasted for several millen_ _n_ _ia. After_ _the torture, they went through a painful brainwashing process. The only problem was the tribe that conducted said brainwashing. They weren't exactly a type who follow instruction manuals but do enjoy using their own methods, if you know what am I trying to say. In the end, we got a group of heavy hitting war dogs. Only a fusion between three Dark Souls can summon them._ "

* * *

*** **Entry #94:** Noise Demon

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _The strongest of their tribe, these ones are the rarest specimens but also the strongest. Their screams represent pain, despair and insanity they bottled deep within themselves. These screams can also become a rather devastating attack. It's why we call them alarm clocks._ " (Sonic attack doesn't deal Aetherial damage)

* * *

**** **Entry #95:** Ak-Nashara the Wrathful

 **Type:** Demon - Hero

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _I remember this one. He used to be a one of those Hell Knights of old that once attacked the Hell Walker. Only he came back alive, because he escaped. That infuriated the Dark Lord so much, he threw Ak-Nashara into the torture chambers with the most sadistic brothers he could find. During his gladiatorial fight that lasted five thousand years, he swore he would get his revenge the moment he became free. So great was his ire, that he could bend reality the moment said ire would resurface. But I am sure that deep down he knew he could not allow himself to_ _fail_ _again. As I said before, the Dark Lord doesn't tolerate failures._ "

* * *

***** **Entry #96:** Ak-Nashara the Fallen

 **Type:** Demon - Hero

 **Faction:** Forces of Hell

 **Description:** " _Well, what do you know? Turns out he was too angry to loose like that, becoming so enraged, he revived himself without the need of an Arch-Vile. Too bad his effort bore no fruits. I don't think we will see him again._ "


	33. Behind the Curtain

**I think I need to explain why I temporarily changed the writing style, since it is obvious that some readers didn't like it. The idea was to change the narrating style on the type of "special" reality the arc is placed. If, for example, the arc happened in a fantasy medieval setting, the narrator would put more emphasis on certain scenes, taking an overly-dramatic approach ("The exploits of our young adventurers shall be remembered as legends..." rather than the usual "The Vault Hunter and co. completed their mission..."). The JoJoverse, while it does have its moments, it is not nearly as edgy as, say, Borderlandsverse or Hell. This is why I wanted to write in such a style as I did, something between seriousness and a poor attempt at comedy. But since people clearly don't like it, I decided to return to the usual writing tone.**

* * *

Never once did Braylon thought he would crash through the roof of a house like an asteroid after being blown away by a sonic attack. His trusty Bumblebee took all of the punishment for him, enough that it depleted the entire battery. He would gladly give a prayer or two hadn't he decided to stare at the roof on the ceiling from the uncomfortable wooden floor, stoically and silently, as the world out there continued to be a jungle of noises.

That Noise Demon certainly served as a wake-up call. It was an unexpected rise in difficulty. All the demons he fought up to then were, more or less, a challenge he accepted at face value. There would be a weak demon, followed by a slightly stronger variant and so on. That? That was just absurd. It was like going in a dungeon where even experienced players had difficulties with a poorly-equipped

character. He felt like it was all planned so he could lower his guard when stronger individuals eventually showed up.

" _Fuck my life… again…_ "

Deciding it was the perfect time to stop staring at the ceiling, the Vault Hunter slowly moved his hands, then his feet, and finally his body. The room he had fallen into belonged to a child. Stuffed toys decorated a tiny bed and a wooden shelf above it. The table had some childish drawings made of crayons. A tiny bookshelf in the corner was half empty, with the books messily piled up on top of another. A single window illuminated the room. Braylon sat on the bed and tapped on the screen of his PDA. Ammunition was fine. Weapons were fine. The Shield-

The Shield was offline.

Disbelief was etched on his face. The Bumblebee, the only thing that kept him safe, was gone. His tampering and the damage it absorbed was too much for the Shield. He was stuck in another world, during a demonic invasion, without something to protect himself with.

"No… no, no, no, no! Fuck! Fucking hell!"

Just as a long stream of curses was about to be unleashed from his mouth, something beyond the door banged their fist against an object, shattering it. The noise startled Braylon. Rather than ask questions like people in horror movies, he drew his Unforgiven and pulled back the hammer. Ironically, that was truly a classic situation of your typical horror movie. A sudden noise would attract the protagonist towards a trap.

" _Nope, not enough for me, fuck you._ "

Braylon spun around and reached the window. Rather than going through the hall, where he could be ambushed, he jumped through the window, landing into the backyard, walled off from the rest of the world with a fence. He landed near a head impaled on a metal rod. Not as much of a jumpscare as one would expect.

Kicking down the fence gave him access to the, at first glance, deserted road. Two cars on the other side of the street had their alarms activated, hiding most of the noises he would otherwise hear. On the right side, between two houses, stood a little girl, her blue eyes fixated on his. Those eyes looked very familiar to him. She put her index finger in front of her mouth, turned left and ran further down the street. Before he even realized what was going on, he heard a loud explosion behind him. One of the houses not far from his position became an inferno. A Mancubus walked out from the building, munching on a tiny animal.

" _Another fat fuck! This could be my chance!_ "

Being fat meant being a wide target, perfect for testing Leviathan. Three rockets penetrated the jiggling mass that was its scarred stomach. The Mancubus staggered backwards soundlessly, seemingly uncaring about blood and bile that its perforated stomach dropped in tiny piles. Rather than expressing anger, or any other emotion naturally displayed in such circumstances, it simply belched and faltered forward, stomping its own exposed intestines that failed to remain in their place.

Braylon was so disgusted that he even forgot about its toughness. " _Ugh. So glad I skipped lunch._ " The fourth rocket he fired was aimed at the exposed face. Even after the head became disfigured, the Mancubus didn't stop moving, although it was now blind. Raising its cannons, the Mancubus fired huge fireballs three times. The way their trajectory was so poor that most of the fireballs weren't even close to his position, told Braylon that him being roasted alive was not the objective, but the bonus. He would be eaten either way. To prevent that, Braylon loaded four rockets into the gun. They were also aimed for the stomach, but since the first three dug an opening to the innards, these ones could easily go even deeper, resulting in an explosion that tore the Mancubus in half. Its blood and chunks of meat flew everywhere, sizzling when dropping on a surface, either from gastric fluids or infections so dangerous they melted everything. Luckily, he was out of reach.

With the Mancubus banished, the Vault Hunter decided to track down the mysterious girl. Against his expectations, she stood in the middle of the road, completely ignoring the destruction of private propriety around her. Some Caconoids spotted her. Rather than attacking, however, they simply stared, shuddered and quickly flew away. That made Braylon instantly suspicious, pointing Leviathan at her. The girl brushed a few strands of her blond hair, pointed to the right and ran in that direction., into an alleyway. While her gaze bore such seriousness that no kid her age should have, it also invited him to follow her, without expressing it in any way, shape or form. Somehow, it felt reassuring.

" _..._ _Hm. Reject one clich_ _é_ _, embrace another._ "

Just seconds after he made the first step, a Baron of Hell materialized twenty meters forward in a shower of orange light. He wasn't the only one. Two Revenants appeared behind him as well. He only had twelve rockets left.

The next few minutes passed so quickly, we feel the need to explain what happened; One of the Revenants fired a rocket. Braylon jumped sideways to avoid the explosion. While in mid-air, he fired two rockets at the Baron. One hit its left arm while the other went for the shoulder. Both pierced the flesh and exploded, tearing some of the muscle away. The Baron, enraged but not in pain, threw a green fireball at Braylon. Because he fell, the fireball missed and hit a Revenant's armor instead, melting some of it. Deciding to return the favor, said Revenant ignored Braylon and unleashed its firepower at the Baron. Meanwhile, Braylon destroyed the other Revenant with a rocket, before it could kill him. The Revenant's rockets only bruised the Baron's body, while the latter used its fist to punch through the armor and kill the pest. Braylon shot five more rockets, but the Baron used its victim as a meat shield. Two out of five rockets actually hit the demon, other three dug into the corpse and exploded, obliterating it.

It was amazing how the beast was able to shrug off rockets that could destroy a tank. Despite the injuries to the arm, and having a tiny portion of its chest devoid of flesh, the Baron showed no pain. When he stopped firing, the Baron of Hell leaped forward. The concussion wave its fist produced when it hit the ground sent Braylon flying. With a mid-air roll, the Vault Hunter regained composure while loading last four rockets into four Leviathan's barrels respectively. When he landed, he unleashed his weapon's firepower at the demon. Its entire chest blew up, revealing a bloody skeleton and muscles that weren't torn to shreds. The produced kinetic energy made it stagger backwards until it finally dropped dead.

Braylon changed Leviathan for Fornax, should he encounter more demons, and ran after the girl. The chase brought him to a dark alleyway, where the girl stood close to a green dumpster, waiting once again for him to arrive.

"Enough." he said, tired from playing cat and mouse, "Tell me what you want or I won't follow you anymore." After a pause, he continued. "I know you want me to follow you. I can feel it. Are you like those demons?"

She said nothing. When he moved his mouth to speak again, she interrupted him.

"They know what you speak or think, so please be quiet. I know you have a lot of questions, but I can't answer them without ruining your only chance to save this and other worlds." He raised an eyebrow. "Their plan was to stall you into finding the responsible ones by sending you through multiple different worlds, all while making it look like you were doing progress on your own. They never expected this turn of events. What you see is them improvising in order to lure you into a trap. However..." The girl reached a wall with her index finger and drew a circle. To Braylon's surprise, a white rift appeared. Who was she?

"This rift will send you close to their vile dummy device for traveling through worlds, without any interference from the enemy. The device won't bring you to the place where the leader of this legion is, but into a pocket dimension, which is actually a trap. They think you will be unprepared and unable to escape from their ambush. That won't happen. You will go there and act ignorant of the danger. When you eventually come out, you will reach the leader and defeat him. You won't die." Wordlessly, he walked to the rift. That last part made him uncomfortable. "You have a powerful ally with you, which they will never be able to defeat. There is no reason to be frightened. Once you are there, do not listen to any poison they spit out. It is all meant to destroy your hope and prevent you from stopping this madness. Now go, and don't forget your gift."

The newest place Braylon reached was unknown to him, though it looked like the courtyard of an expensive hotel. In front of him stood the Dark Totem. He spun around, checking if there were demons nearby. No living soul was present, further reinforcing the "this is a trap" vibe he got. He wasn't sure what to make of that monologue, but he decided to follow through with the "plan" and touch the Totem. Did he have any choice in the matter?

An orange pentagram formed under his feet. Everything became red.

* * *

(Doom PSX – Track07)

Braylon awakened with a headache that threatened to split his head in two. It rally was a trap, just like the girl said. Standing up proved to be a challenge for a brief moment, as was regaining his vision back. The first thing he checked was his body, which returned to its previous state, before he landed into that reality. Somewhat coincidentally, Braylon saw a faint greenish-blue fog caressing his legs to the ankles. It barely concealed stains of something he recognized was blood on the large stone bricks that served as a floor. Braylon's face met a Peon's when he raised his head. He cried out, his back hitting the cold wall made of the exact same bricks as the floor. His voice echoed as if he was in a canyon. The Peon was harmless, however, for it was just a mutilated body hanging from the ceiling.

" _Do you_ _hate_ _something?_ " A voice whispered between the myriad of thoughts that raced in his mind. There wasn't just one corpse, there were at least a dozen more, all belonging to different demons, as far as he could see, which wasn't much. It was too dark for his liking. " _I_ _do. It's when someone interrupts me during my work. Take you, for example._ "

The room was a plain stone square, with a torch in the middle, burning with green fire. Each corpse he passed by after he picked up his Fornax was once a demon, tortured to "death". When he reached the other side, he found a wooden door to his right, ornately carved with demonic-looking skulls.

" _You were supposed to follow a pattern like you did before but you did not. What's with the sudden change, I wonder?_ _It only served to complicate things more than necessary._ " He could feel irritation dripping from the voice like venom from a snake's mouth. " _Someone helped you, that is obvious. But who? You think it was him? The one who gave you that mark?_ " It chuckled mockingly. " _Do you, I wonder, know his true intentions? Why don't we find them out together? Shall we?_ _Proceed through that door, please._ "

Reluctantly, the Vault Hunter approached the door. When he touched one of the carved skulls, the door quickly moved itself away, revealing a Fury that immediately punched him in the face. He felt something cracking in his head as he fell face down. A tooth fell out of his mouth. He spun around awkwardly just as the Fury was close to deliver another fist to his head. The reanimated demonic skeleton crumbled into pieces all over him when hot plasma melted the spinal column, in a style that could be called spray and pray.

"Fuh… fugh… I felt that..."

" _I apologize. My brothers aren_ _'t exactly patient or well-mannered as I am. You may find more of them during your journey, hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike you down._ "

With pain slowly subsiding, nothing stopped him from going beyond that door. The stone bridge he stood on was narrow, reducing his maneuverability to going either forwards or backwards, something he didn't like. Each five meters of the bridge had two gallows with demonic corpses, some of them being Arch-Viles. Both the bridge and the room behind him were levitating above nothingness, like in that strange dimension, with the exception that everything was enveloped by the greenish-blue fog, which was far thicker than the one in the room. So thick, in fact, that he could only see the bridge for some twenty meters, before it disappeared. He couldn't smell or hear anything. It was cold.

" _I believe those who fail to accomplish something need to be punished for their failure. Don't you agree?_ " He skulked in silence, fearing another ambush. " _Without punishment, you will never have order. I'm sure you understand._ "

The walk was uneventful and that made Braylon nervous. His head would jerk left and right whenever he heard something he estimated weren't his footsteps. The room behind him grew smaller and smaller, yet there was no end in sight of that bridge, just more fog and hanging corpses. His alertness proved to be useful when four Lost Souls appeared on both sides of the bridge Nothing his Fornax wouldn't be able to destroy.

After reloading, Braylon began seeing something that wasn't the bridge, few meters into the fog. It was an intersection where each corner sported a black candle. All paths were completely hidden in the fog. But that wasn't what concerned him.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Something was on the move. Something in the fog. Something he couldn't see. Warning bells struck his whole being as he held tightly the plasma dispenser. Beads of sweat ran down his face in defiance of the cold. He stopped walking.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

A demon slowly rose from the fog to the left. Hadn't he known better he would assume it was an alien due to its grayish-green skin. Its mouth, which were actually exposed gums and teeth, its large feet and muscular chest were red and scarred. A pentagram was carved on its forehead, little above the mouth. It continued walking to the right, giving Braylon only a slight glance even though he failed to spot any eyes on its face, before disappearing into the fog, along with the sound.*

It made his skin crawl.

"...No, thank you. I don't want any." He gulped.

" _If you refuse to go further, you will be stuck here forever while world after world dies. That wouldn't be fun now, would it?_ "

He hated himself for nodding. There really wasn't much he could do but act like a puppet. The situation reminded him of the time ran through the fiery pits of Hell. It was ironic how the demon "motivated" him in the almost exact way as the voice, by making threats, pushing buttons and appealing to his weaknesses. Reluctantly stepping into the intersection, Braylon stopped moving.

" _You must feel very accomplished. What mortal could brag about defeating so many beings superior than themselves? All that struggle, all that bloodshed, and you are still unaware of your role in the play. Maybe this will make thing clearer._ "

Braylon's mind was assaulted with thousands of images per second. In all of them he could see himself in first person; fighting demons, reaching places and escaping from the dimension. Every. Single. One. Different weapons, different enemies… Those weren't some random images…

"No. No!"

No matter how much he denied, there was no mistaking it. Each picture was far too realistic. Almost like he had done it all already.

" _What do you think you saw? I'm sure you can figure it out._ "

It…

It was the future.

"But how?! How?!"

" _Allow me to tell you how. You are in a play. This is your stage. Everything is_ _just one big performance. All your encounters, and the victories that came with them, were staged._ "

"No! That's impossible! No one can…!"

" _Predict the future? No, you are mistaken. This was not a mere prediction. What you experienced was how the first part of the play will end. Everything will unravel the way you saw._ "

"No… no..." Braylon muttered to himself as he fell on his knees.

" _Don't take my word for it. See for yourself. You do remember what comes now, don't you?_ "

Yes. He knew exactly what was about to happen. The fog would retract, revealing four caged Caconoids, which would be banished with Fornax, without him being hit. And indeed, the fog retracted and the four Caconoids were visible. He couldn't believe what he saw. It all happened just like in the pictures that assaulted his mind.

The Caconoid behind him threw up. Braylon immediately jumped sideways and banished another Caconoid with Fornax by melting its face. Avoiding two projectiles with a roll, he killed the second flying demon, switched Fornax with Omni-Cannon, ducked some more bile and hit the third Caconoid's eye with a bullet, causing it to explode into a blue mist. The last Caconoid was chipped away piece by piece as each explosive bullet tore through its body until it became the equivalent of mashed potatoes.

(Doom PSX – Track13)

While reloading the Hyperion sniper rifle, Braylon's mind went through the entire scene once again. Reality and visions were indistinguishable from each other. Like a script for a movie and its execution. His breathing turned into sounds made by the business end of a wood chipper from Pandora. He gazed at the symbol on his hand.

" _Do you realize now, the_ _scale of the_ _comedy? Have you acknowledged its length yet? From your escape to you ending up trapped. It was all carefully tailored into a web of deceit and manipulation. You never had a choice. You never had allies. But for what purpose, you may ask._ " The voice let out its laugh again before singing in a sickly sweet manner: " _That is a secret._ "

He gritted his teeth in frustration. If he had a bandit camp nearby, a massacre would ensue. But now he had to concentrate, because the torture wasn't done. That's what it was, really. Simple, sadistic torture with the guy who started it all.

The fog moved away as if some wind pushed it sideways. A new path was open; a bridge, wider than the previous one, that led to a small fort where a legless Baron of Hell hung above a wooden gate guarded by three demons. Two of them were Hell Razers who stood on two floating platforms while the third was a new, previously unseen threat Braylon already recognized with regret. A hybrid consisting of a brain-shaped creature with two blue alien-like eyes fused to a chassis supported by four metallic legs. Its arms were useless in battle, so it had a turret mounted on the robotic body. A second type of demon that used technology to improve itself.**

Beams began flying Braylon's way, urging him to make himself as smaller as he could behind the short walls of the intersection. The bridge was wide enough for the mechanical spider demon to walk on, meaning if he didn't get rid of the Hell Razers first, there would be trouble when he would get the chance to attack. Like in the visions from before, the first thing he had done was to quickly take aim at the Hell Razer on the left, ignoring the shower of energy beams that, he thought, weren't even meant to hit him. An explosive round threw it off the platform.

The mechanical demon shot green plasma bullets, stopping only when Braylon was out of its field of view.

" _Imagine the humiliation they have to go through for the play, knowing what will happen should they disobey. I find it amusing."_

He paid no attention as he ended the second Hell Razer's life with a headshot. Excalibastard replaced Omni-Cannon as Braylon waited for the perfect moment. Once the demon cyborg was close enough, he jumped and stabbed it in the eye with the bayonet. Red blood poured from the wound as it cried out, trying to shake him off.

"Stop making fun of me! Bastard!"

Two laser beams took its life. The metallic body collapsed with an echoing clang, making sounds similar to a dying machine. Rather than feeling happy for surviving the close encounter, he felt angry, crossing the bridge while swapping guns again. Even after knowing the painful truth, he still had to be the fool that played pretend. That girl he chased was probably part of the farce too. Never before in his life did an achievement look so fake. Earth, open up and take him.

" _Come on, great hero. Don't you want to stop the evil_ _invaders_ _again?_ _Or do you want to give up?_ "

Braylon quietly reached the wooden gate. It was a battle, one that was meant to break his spirit slowly and painfully, by questioning everything and falling into despair. The shock he felt when he encountered the Caconoids was now subject to heavy rationalization. It was all a trick. He had no idea how, but it was. He was sure of it. As he was sure that a Maggot waited for him on the other side. He breathed in, aimed and touched the gate.

The Maggot was there in the same position he thought it would be. Without thinking twice, he fired with Excalibastard, preventing it from attacking. The Maggot shrieked, grasping its stomach. A second shot froze one of the heads. He cut off the other with Holo Sabre.

" _Take my compliments. You won a battle with one of the strongest of our kind, completely on your own._ "

The only path he could see was a corridor that turned left, made of stone bricks like everything else, illuminated by blue torches placed on holders. A wall of skulls sat behind a glass panel on the right wall. The skulls were polished, piled with more care than those in some ancient catacombs. None of them belonged to a human. One of the skulls resembled a Skag's.

He spotted a Ravager Demon when he peered around the corner. It roared and ran from way down the hallway. Braylon moved away and it hit the wall, stunning itself. Orphan Maker materialized in his hands. He shoved the barrels at the temple and pulled the trigger. Half of the head exploded, with gray matter sticking to the ceiling and walls. The supernatural anger only served to make him even more irritated, knowing that all his efforts were everything but.

His footsteps echoed through the hallways as he casually walked, without a care in the world. Why should he care when he knew he wouldn't be killed? As he held that thought, the wall on the right slid down, its inhabitants being two Spectres that immediately turned invisible. Braylon retreated backwards while firing forward. Few droplets of blood he saw falling were excellent clues on where to point his Orphan Maker. He waited few seconds, making sure one of the Spectres came closer to the barrels. A bright flash, a loud boom and the air turned red, a mangled corpse appearing on the floor. Some pellets hit the one behind it, which roared as its face received a rather painful acupuncture treatment. He located the second Spectre based on sound alone and banished it to Hell with a shotgun surgery.

The rest of the corridor was clear, so he turned left, turned left again and reached a staircase which lead to the second floor; a large room with dead Hell Knights nailed on the walls. Metal bars blocked the access to the staircase. He wasn't surprised.

A brief exploration led him to a skull-shaped switch hidden carefully behind two bricks. Bullets were required for its activation, moving the entire wall away and revealing the blue sphere he was accustomed to use when necessary, no matter how morbid it was. Although, he wondered, why would they give something so beneficial to him and did it have any side-effects that the voice conveniently hid from his knowledge. That turncoat will hear it once he escapes, though even that became nothing but an assumption at this point. Would he ever escape from these nightmares?

The second switch came in the form of a lion-like head on a brown stone tablet. Its eyes and mouth lit up when he pushed the nose. Instantaneously, something teleported on the other side of the room. He spun around and saw a skull-shaped demon with a wide mouth and six tiny eyes, its skin gray with a tinge of brown. Like the Caconoid, it had several tentacles hanging from the bottom. It also had an exposed brain. Its hiss sounded a lot like that of a cat's.***

Due to its similarities with the Caconoids, Braylon thought it was probably related to them. He wasn't prepared for its faster speed of flight, so his shot missed the target. He also wasn't prepared for its yellow energy ball it fired from the mouth. While he avoided being hit, he failed to move away fast enough when it exploded behind him. He fell down, sharp pain biting his back and soul. As the demon closed in for the kill, the other presence invaded his thoughts once again.

" _I'm sure you know a lot about that pendant you took from one of my brothers. But did you also know that it makes your soul exposed even more than it already was? You won't throw it away, of course. It is far too precious in battle, correct?_ " It chortled as Braylon tried to crawl towards his Orphan Maker. He extended his right hand. Quick, before the demon…

His hand was bitten off.

It wasn't the first time he lost a limb. In his younger years, he would loose a leg or a hand due to dangerous circumstances, but his PDA would help him regrow one back, although it took a lot of time, unless he boosted the process by consuming enough drugs to fill a pharmacy. However, he never lost a limb in such a painful way. So painful, that Braylon's mind forgot about the shotgun and watched in horror his bone and meat being chewed loudly by the demon, who obviously took pleasure in doing so while staring him down like an inferior being he was.

He screamed. Even with the pain inhibitor, he felt his brain screaming at him to get the hell away from the attacker while ranting about his missing hand. Blood rushed from the wound as he rolled on the ground like a pig in mud, although in smaller and smaller quantities. The PDA already sent nanobots and coagulants at work to prevent its user from dying of blood loss. But on a level higher than simple materialism, he felt as if his soul had forcefully lost a piece of itself. He screamed for two whole minutes, before the flying demon became bored and approached Braylon again.

In a fit of rage, mixed with desire for revenge, Braylon turned his head at the demon, screaming through teeth as his materialized Holo Ripper went through its bottom like a pin in a pincushion. Working it through the flesh, Braylon pulled Holo Ripper in the direction of the jaw, slicing it in half and showering himself in gore. The demon flew backwards, its jaw and intestines hanging loosely as red blood formed a small lake below. It tried to conjure one of its energy balls, but Braylon went for its exposed brain. The Holo Ripper buzzed as it disfigured the organ into pinkish paste. It gave a shriek before it collapsed. Braylon had none of it. He didn't stop cutting until the body was torn open like a pig in a butchery.

After kicking the corpse, our Vault Hunter reached the blue sphere and used it to heal himself, his right hand returning as if he never lost it. Thinking about how he could get used to it, he approached the stairs, which were now available.

" _Excellent work on that Rahovart. Though it would be more appealing to watch if you got more injuries, don't you think?_ "

"Fuck off."

" _Mortal. I gave you a demonstration on what I'm capable of. I dictate, you execute. But who said we need to strictly follow the script? Maybe we should add more danger._ "

The wall on the right was gone when he went down, turning the once-corridor into a room like the one above. Corpses were still present, though he paid no mind to them. He payed attention on the pentagram that appeared into the middle of the room, which turned into smoke, before a demon slowly rose from it.

At first glance, it resembled an emaciated Imp, translucent and cyan tinted. Other differences included six beady eyes that were really just six black dots and a split-open jaw twisted to make the entire mouth look like something that should belong to a spider. It tilted its head when it saw Braylon and let out a faint laugh that sounded more like a serpentine hiss. ****

His first shot went through its body harmlessly. While he reloaded, he saw it levitating slightly above ground. Rather than moving with its legs, it flew quickly to his left and fired a white fireball, its speed faster than a Grunt's. He jumped away and the fireball hit the wall, forming white flames that turned into ice.

" _Normal bullets don't seem to work. Maybe plasma can do the trick?_ "

However, when it flew away from the spot and attacked again, its translucency was gone, replaced with a solid body that stopped levitating, but only for a few seconds, because it returned to its ghost-like form again.

" _I see. There's a time gap I can use to… Hold on, who said I must do what they want me to do?!_ "

Seeing that he didn't test his hypothesis regarding plasma, Braylon materialized Fornax and applied it on the demon. As it turned out, plasma was able to hurt it even in ghost form, although it didn't melt it, having the same effect as a normal bullet would have on a solid object. The demon fell, grunting like a camel, covered in ghostly blood.

" _Do you hope you found a loophole you can exploit? Do you think you are free now? Should we try again? Yes, we should._ "

Three more ghost demons (he labeled 'Phantom' for obvious reasons) appeared in the room, one in front of him and two behind. Dodging the first volley was harder than expected. He had to be careful, lest he became an ice sculpture. They aimed at legs, head and chest. After the second volley, where one of the fireballs flew uncomfortably close to his face, Braylon used Fornax to kill two of them, their blood blue like Caconoid's, noticing how they don't attack when they turn corporeal. The remaining one was easily killed.

" _How boring. You may proceed._ "

Fornax returned to PDA. He already used all ammo he could for Leviathan and he sure as hell wasn't going to do the same with the third most powerful weapon in his arsenal, other two being Nukem and Leviathan. He was about to change the plasma gun for something else when a Mancubus appeared as soon as he opened the gate, something that wasn't supposed to happen in the visions. Taken by surprise, he jumped sideways, thus avoiding fire released from its cannons.

" _Did the rules change?!_ "

He had to use Fornax's special attack. That would deplete the battery completely, which was at thirty percent. The Mancubus strolled into the room. It burped twice, turning slowly towards the Vault Hunter...

A beam of plasma struck its chest.

It staggered backwards, stunned by the beam's power. If it could look down, it would notice a steaming hole in its armor. The beam had enough power to pierce through its armor, cooking all flesh it touched before blood could erupt. It gargled incoherently, blood filling its mouth. Braylon threw a grenade at its feet as he ran to the other side of the room. A foot and part of the stomach was gone. Not that it killed it or anything.

"Jesus! Will you die already?!"

Braylon materialized Striker and fired at the head. Only after he destroyed it completely did the Mancubus fall. It took four shots. His supply of shotgun shells began to dwindle. He would use them all if he had to, dammit.

The second path was free of the fog. It was a third bridge that lead to a thin, cylindrical structure. The bridge led to somewhere behind said structure, wrapping around it like a snake. One of those spider-like demon cyborgs guarded the bridge, because of course it had to. He stopped caring the moment he realized he had no room for choice because the concept of choice was meaningless the whole time. Even as he used Omni-Cannon to bring the demon down, jumping and rolling to avoid its continuous stream of plasma bullets, his memory returned to all previous encounters. There was always a road he had to follow, an encounter he had to survive, enemies getting stronger and stronger. It was like a game, where he was the playable character and the demons he fought were the players. He dismissed the analogy as stupid, because words couldn't describe how soul-crushing it felt.

Not that he would ever believe a demon, mind you. The whole thing really sounded too good to be true, no matter how twisted it was. There was no way one could escape from Hell the way he did, and with the help of a demon no less. But when one is subjected to methods of torture humanity never knew existed, one starts praying for opportunities of any kind to show up. With that thought out of the way, and with the demon blown apart, Braylon was free to reach the cylindrical building. No demon was there to ambush him when he entered. There was just a teleporter.

" _Here we go..._ "

* * *

Screams are usually a bad sign, especially when they belong to demons and monsters. Braylon couldn't quite tell where he was. He was brought on a wide, rocky, disc-shaped platform hovering above a lake of magma. A cylindrical wall made of red rock surrounded the place approximately two meters away from the platform, reaching into the "sky" as far as his eyes could see. It was warm enough to feel like he was a piece of metal in a furnace.

And he wasn't alone.

The wall contained hundreds of cells, each designed to hold its host and its host alone. And boy what hosts. Unlike the demons he fought, the prisoners were completely different. To his right, a giant frog with perfect human teeth and eyes with four pupils. To his left, a humanoid wearing disturbing masks all over its body. Then there was a giant egg made of human skin, a dark red brain infested with worms, a snail with hundred eyes and pincers, a humanoid rooster with feathers made of compressed air, a living diamond, a cackling jar, a lion's head surrounded with five goat legs, and so on. All of them behind bars, howling, screaming, cursing, laughing, neighing, singing, growling, whispering. It was a madhouse for supernatural beings, he thought. And while he felt neither fear or anger, he wished he could stop all that noise, most of it skipping the ear part and going straight for the brain. We often complain about how others are so loud we can't hear ourselves think. That was literal for him.

" _Everything is so dull._ " he heard the demon among other voices, " _I am tired of executing plans I made myself. Everything becomes predictable, as it happened with you. You mortals behave exactly as I predict you will. The results are always amusing. But..._ " Braylon glanced nervously at one of the cells. He saw a naked woman with hair so long it covered her entire body. One red eye observed him silently through that golden sea. It freaked him out more than anything else. " _But it takes so long to get the results. Maybe years, maybe decades. And before you know it, all that excitement_ _withers away. Now that I am free, I thought about changing my methods, if only for a short period. I want to… improvise. I want to see what will happen when I add more variables, more diversity to the equation. And that is where you become useful._ "

" _You will fight against brothers who wish to do so. Not the imprisoned ones, you see._ _They are my prisoners and I am the warden. As such, it is my duty to enforce order among these failures. And what better way than giving them what they want?_ " Braylon materialized Striker wordlessly. There was no escape. " _Look at them. If only you were able to see their reactions when I told them we could escape from the Eternal Abyss, and that they would have none of it until their time served becomes satisfactory. This fight will serve as a reminder of what they could do if only they were more competent. But enough talk. Let the game begin._ "

Four tiny islands flew from below the platform, each carrying a Gore Nest. They fused to the platform. The audience became louder. Not all of them were excited or happy.

" _Your first opponent will be a Paladin you encountered earlier. Should he fail, he will join other prisoners. That should be motivating enough, don't you think?_ "

A demon teleported from the Gore Nest in front of him. It was the alien-looking one with the gray-green skin. Although it reminded Braylon of a Hell Knight, it lacked the speed of one, clumping like it tried to squish bugs under its feet. He had a feeling it would be as tough as a Mancubus.

(DPM – Destroyer: (Fan-Made) Doom Eternal Soundtrack)

The Paladin conjured a green fireball like a Baron of Hell would, though it was larger than a Baron's, and threw it like a catapult would throw a rock. Braylon ran away from the fireball, but was caught by the wide area of the explosion it unleashed and fell. That was twice in one day, or at least he thought it was one day.

" _I am noticing a fucking trend here._ "

Luckily his grip on the Striker was strong enough. Forcing himself to ignore the pain, Braylon rolled away from the fist that came down like a sledgehammer and from the bite that came afterwards. He shot the Paladin in the head. The pellets only peeled away a small chunk of skin and meat, nothing like when powered by Bumblebee's effect. Red blood leaked from the wound in tiny, almost unnoticeable streams. He needed something with more power.

Avoiding another fireball and its explosion, Braylon ran to the edge of the platform while the Paladin continued its casual walk. He materialized Nukem and fired. The explosion caused a great deal of commotion among the crowd. Braylon closed his eyes and covered his face. When the light faded, he saw the Paladin in pieces, half of it disintegrated while the other half tried to crawl to its target with poor success. It's hard to move with your only hand when it looks like it feel in wood chipper. Black smoke rose from the ground, enveloped the now dead body and disappeared. Those imprisoned demons who had fingers pointed at their fallen brother and laughed.

" _Serves him right. That was pathetic. Don't let your guard down. We barely started._ "

Braylon dematerialized Nukem and reloaded Striker.

" _This challenger formed a body he could fuse to machinery. He likes it a bit too much, in my opinion._ "

Through the rift of a Gore Nest came the familiar upper body of a Hell Knight, wearing a headset that partially covered its head. When it jumped out from the rift, he could see that everything from hips down was replaced with a metallic chassis similar to that of the spider demons from before, only it had dozens of tubes sticking from hips and stomach, some of them connecting to the headset. *****

"Great."

Due to the metallic contraption, it was way faster than a Hell Knight on its legs, reaching Braylon in less than a minute, though the swiftness of its arms was still the same, so he was able to avoid getting hit. Unexpectedly, it jumped backwards and charged straight for Braylon. He received a punch strong enough that his jaw was dislocated. It was pure luck, he could have lost it completely.

By God, did It hurt when he had to put it back. It had to be quick, because the Hell Knight was already on the move. Dammit, he was too slow. It caught him by the throat and lifted him up. He dropped his shotgun. His soul, his body… everything hurt…

No.

There was no way he would die. He was stronger than death.

You piece of shit, he thought, you will pay dearly that punch.

And he knew how.

When they were on the same eye level, the Vault Hunter noticed a large metal tube on its back. He figured it was a spine modified to tolerate the chassis. Braylon, as slowly as possible, raised his left hand up, acting as pathetically possible to not arouse suspicion while trying to not choke to death. When it was close to the spine, he jerked it forward, materializing Holo Sabre that went through its chest and into the metal. The Hell Knight roared as it let go, the Holo Sabre cutting all the way as Braylon dropped down. He then materialized Holo Ripper and cut off a leg. Loosing its balance, the Hell Knight fell. Braylon grabbed Striker and fired five times into its head, before falling on his arse, exhausted and wounded.

While the body went through the same process as the Paladin's, he heard the voice again.

" _One on one battles are tiresome. How about a slaughter game? You fight until you actually die and return back to the Eternal Abyss._ "

"You piece of shit!"

" _Now, now. Who said you would ever get out of my playground? Do you have a short memory? I told you what your role is. Anything outside that role is out of your reach. But I am not cruel as you might think. Here._ "

A light brown sphere appeared in front of him. He saw a monstrous face barking like a dog.

" _This is a Megasphere; pure aetherial energy distilled from ten thousand Condemned souls. It will heal your physical wounds and form an aetherial barrier around your soul that will absorb all damage up to a certain point_ _and shield it from the typical negative effects our presence can cause_ _. Take it._ "

Braylon stared dumbly at the item.

" _What is the matter? This isn't a Soulsphere, if you have any dile_ _m_ _mas._ "

The Vault Hunter was confused. Why would the demon help him if it wanted him to throw into a pit full of snakes? To prolong his suffering, obviously. It was the first, natural answer he could think of. But he needed to think it through, he had to.

" _You don't have a choice, mortal. You will take it._ "

And there it was. Choice. He never had a choice, did he? There lied the answer. They wanted to break his spirit. Again. He now had all pieces of the puzzle.

The first time it happened, he went through extreme torture in Hell, soon after the Vault was opened. It was also the first time he experienced the second kind of pain, one that transcended the body. He never got used to the torture. Braylon had no need to eat, sleep or drink, except when they deemed it worthy to add in the long list that made his torment a nightmare. His stomach would complain, twist and demand food he never got. Sleep deprivation would often be accompanied with forced drowning in pools of blood. Each technique, while diverse, was efficient in achieving wanted results. If there was hope that longed for freedom, it was completely gone at some point in time he didn't bother to remember, along with his PDA.

" _I know your desire for an actual confrontation. Why waste it now?_ "

His personal executioner once left the room. It was then that the voice appeared, offering him freedom in exchange for obedience. After the sign was carved on his hand, as a reminder of his actions, the voice guided him out of the prison, while also explaining some rules he would always need to remember if he really wanted to regain freedom. It told him where to go, what switch to pull, when to hide and when to run. Back then, he had no idea how supernatural beings could be so easily fooled as they were, never thinking for a second that it could all be intentional. After being led through many places that did and did not exist, he finally found a rift that would take him out of Hell. To make it more legit, not only did the voice act as he would expect, but they also staged a couple of "invasions" where he would always save the day, no matter how strong the enemy was. That is why the voice always knew where the "invasion" started, but told half-truths for reasons yet unknown. How the Maidens fit in the story was still a mystery.

In short, they wanted to humiliate him further by telling him how he was a bird who sat on head of a bull while singing how special it was to everyone who ran out of the way. And the worst part? He now knew the truth and he still couldn't do anything about it. Why there was a Megasphere in front of him? Because the demon knew he would need it, thus proving once again that he was a mere puppet who would never fix anything. Giving a pathetic excuse of a hope only to crush it. He now wished for death more than ever rather than accepting the offer he couldn't refuse.

" _God, why I must go through all of this? Why me? Why did I have to open that Vault? Why?_ "

Hiding his face from the demonic crowd, his hand reluctantly touched the Megasphere. It turned into a cream colored gas that enveloped his body. An aetherial green web occupied his vision for just a second, before disappearing completely. The pain was gone.

" _Splendid._ " satisfaction blatantly oozed from the voice, " _Prepare yourself, because you will not get any rest until you drop dead. You will learn how worthless your struggle is._ "

He heard a horn in the distance, though he didn't see any. Well, he thought, if he had to die, at least he would die in battle, no matter how stretched that word is.

(DPM – Diabolik: (Fan Made) Doom Eternal Soundtrack)

Demons teleported from all sides, some of them jumping out from the Gore Nests. Braylon gawked at their amount and ferocity as everyone and their mother decided to kill the puny human. It was unfair, but he realized that was the point.

While he stared at the wall of meat, metal and paranormal, a Peon and two Vulgars crept up behind him. Without even realizing how close he was to death, he jump-rolled away from a Rahovart's energy ball. He heard an explosion as blood and something wet rained all around him, some of it falling on his back. Why even bother to see who died when he had a thousand more to deal with?

It was, for the lack of a better word, a clusterfuck. Some demons actually fought between themselves because they dared to shove others aside or kill everything on their path indiscriminately. There were screams, there was blood, there was the audience. Too much going on to follow it all.

Avoiding a Hell Knight's fist, he shot a Former Human on his left, ducked under a Grunt's fireball and shot its knee. It didn't chop off the leg as expected, but the Grunt lost balance and fell, before a Paladin's fireball exploded. Braylon, before falling, saw the aetherial green web for a second. The pain he felt was only physical, surprisingly. That hardly mattered when dropped on the ground, right near some Zombie Pigmen and a Wraith, with an Oni Burning Mouth emerging behind them. Cursing loudly, the Vault Hunter backrolled seconds before the Oni spat fire at him, burning other demons who couldn't escape fast enough, leaving behind a black streak.

" _This is so fucking hard!_ "

Back-pedalling stopped abruptly when he tripped over an eviscerated corpse of a Former Human who wore a tattered outfit reminiscent of the old Crimson Lance soldiers. If he hadn't done so, his head would become sashimi made with a chainsaw. Braylon stared bug-eyed at its wielder; a green-skinned, red-eyed, Imp-like humanoid with tiny spikes on its shoulders, probably a head taller than him. ******

He was ready to fill it with lead, but his right arm and chest were enveloped with some black rock that grew from the platform. Gasping, he looked to the left. There was a Void Caller who used its abilities to keep him down. He couldn't use the shotgun, but he could use the Holo Ripper he materialized to block the chainsaw's descent towards his neck. It was mind-boggling how Holo Ripper, being a tool made of solid light, couldn't damage a similar tool made of actual metal.

The chainsaw demon was no joke. Braylon had trouble holding the tool from advancing further. One wrong move and he would die. His right arm was stuck, but the hand wasn't. The Oni was coming closer.

" _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ "

Suddenly, a Baron's red hand pushed the chainsaw wielder away. It cried out in protest but the taller demon ignored it, looking down on Braylon with pure hatred. It was probably someone he "defeated" before.

It received a chainsaw to the hip. The Baron spun around and backhanded the demon's head off, staining everything with green blood, then crushed the chainsaw with a hoof. But when it turned around, one of its knees exploded, courtesy of Orphan Maker. When it was about to tear the human's heart out, it received two large fireballs to its back from a Mancubus who thought it would be best if it just set everything on fire. There was no way such a blasphemy would go unpunished, so the Baron charged at the Mancubus, leaving behind the human who couldn't go anywhere because of Void Caller's sorcery.

It was a good thing they all hated each other, Braylon thought.

But the problems only kept growing and not diminishing. He was going low on ammo of the most important guns in his arsenal, his movements were reduced as much as possible and there was a giant demon ready to either burn him alive or stomp him until everything in his body turned to jelly. The Former Human corpse under his legs only made it worse. Panicking, Braylon swapped Orphan Maker for Excalibastard and quickly aimed at the Oni, firing a beam into its left eye. The Oni howled, dropping the club it held above its head, which squished a Pain Elemental that flew to close to the ground for its own good.

"Stop! All of you!"

A voice boomed from nowhere, silencing everyone and everything. All activity, from fighting to cheering, stopped faster than humanly possible. Even the prisoners stayed quiet. This also meant that the black rocks that kept Braylon down crumbled to dust. But rather than fighting, he took the opportunity to rummage through the corpse. He found few shotgun shells and some useless ammo for a pistol he didn't use. When he thought that pittance was all he would find, he inspected the belt and spotted a grenade mod he immediately stashed, along with the ammo, in his PDA.

"Mortal."

He knew that slur was directed at him. That wasn't scary. The tone that combined statement, order, threat and ultimatum was. During the heavily one-sided match, the fear and anger effects weren't present, which made it a bit awkward for Braylon who got used to otherwise. Now it exploded deep within him with unparalleled power. His body, if it were a cat's, would have all of its body hair turned into needles as it hissed at danger. The aura of doom that emanated from behind him was the force that drew his eyes. Eyes that told him all "living" demons formed a line and stood still like statues, ignoring the blood and corpses of the fallen.

(Doom 2016 – Hell's Choir)

The man in the tuxedo held his hands on the walking stick, face too calm to reveal his thoughts or emotions.

"Enough mind games." A hand rose from the stick. "Give me… the ring."

* * *

 **Almost hit the 10.000 words milestone.** **I had no idea I could do that. This part was written with a WAD map type of thinking. By making it look like a level from the classic games, I was able to get the feel of how to write the future chapters where demons are fought in strange dimensions and realities. The first portion of the strange dimension was designed to be pretty linear. You go to a place, hit a switch, repeat. However the last scene was written to resemble a slaughtermap scenario, where you are locked in a room and a lot of stuff comes at you from all sides, which mostly ends in monster infighting while you pick off the biggest threats. I would like if you could give me a feedback, so that I can add or remove certain things in future chapters to make them better.**

 **Fun Fact: Rahovart is the name of a subtype of Pain Elementals in the Doom RPG, but I decided to give it to** **t** **he second type of Cacodemons,** **the Doom 3 version,** **where I gave them the ability to shoot energy balls which can deal Explosive damage.**

 **The Hell Paladin is the late-game version of the Hell-Knight in Doom 3. It acts exactly like in the game. Slow, tough, strong. I can't help but think how the Doom (2016) version and this one are related. They look almost the same, with a few changes of course. Note how this is the last variation of the Hell Knight. The reason for this is because enemies like the Baron of Hell and Hell Knights are already strong, so one additional version for each will be enough, because these versions are basically X on steroids.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #97:** Hell Paladin

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Rest assured that rewards tend to happen often to those who decide to make an effort when doing something. Only the best Hell Knights can become Hell Paladins; someone who is more worthy than a hundred soldiers. The promotion process is long and difficult. Every Hell Knight gets only one chance to win the title and receive additional power. This is intentional, as it makes the selection easy and efficient._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #98:** Arachnotron – Thalamus

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _War machines forcefully possessed by those too weak to form strong bodies, but too intelligent for their own good. We simply fuse them to the metallic body against their own will. The weapon serves to vent out their frustration at anything alive in the material plane. Because of their refusal to_ _accept_ _the body we give them, their performance_ _is mediocre at best. Give people a finger and they will take the arm, eh?_ " (Deals exclusively plasma damage)

* * *

 *****Entry #99:** Rahovart

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _There is not much to say about the Rahovarts and their connection to the Caconoids. One thing that differs between them is the motive for their hunt. A Caconoid hunts to satiate its eternal hunger. A Rahovart will hunt to frighten its prey. He will do anything to make his prey scared, only to hunt it down like a shark. Ambushes, spectral breathing, purposefully missing the target to disorient them. Fear draws them to the prey._ _And they will do anything to get it, before they go for the kill._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #100:** Phantom

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Phantoms are a footprint left behind by a fallen Imp, able to manipulate air around it into a special fireball that can freeze targets to extremely low temperatures. By fallen, I mean dead. In mortal words, it is a ghost. Sounds impossible? You can thank the Unchained Predator for that._ " (it can be damaged only by energy weapons while in "ghost" form, immune to Cryo damage, ranged attacks deal Cryo damage)

* * *

 *******Entry #101:** Olviel the Headtaker

 **Type:** Demon – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _What is this? Why is there a sudden fascination with mechanics? Is there a reason for such complications? It reminds me of that one encounter with a brother of mine, where I asked why did he fuse his body with so much metal. He laughed at my face and called me a boomer._ "

* * *

 ********Entry #102:** Sawcubus

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Every faction out there has one or two loonies obsessed with butchering things._ _We are no different. When some brothers found out that mortals use tools called chainsaws to cut down trees, they thought it would be nice to use said chainsaws to cut down mortals. Soon the chainsaw became the only thing they could identify with, because everything they did someone did better, so they changed their names to Sawcubi. I think I don't need to tell you what happens if you get too close to one._ "


	34. To Begin Again

(Dronny Darko – Numinous)

The Eternal Enemy.

Father of Lies.

The Bane of All That is Mortal.

Dark Lord of the Fourth Age.

Chances were high that at some point those titles ran through the dark recess of his being. Something deep down told him he was staring at the incarnation of evil beyond comprehension, regardless of the appearance of a simple man in an even simpler tuxedo. Why it chose such a form was a mystery even to demons who stood in lines like soldiers. And this is why Braylon was frightened to the core. Many things could be said about a wolf who hunts a prey. Many more could be said about a wolf who disguises itself as a prey.

Before Braylon could fumble around his vocabulary to express eloquently the question "What ring?", something hard yet invisible pushed him down, then grabbed him and quickly pulled him closer to the man like a dog bringing a toy to its master. He was floating.

"Don't make fun of me, brat." He snapped, revealing a set of perfect teeth. His gaze felt like he was talking not to Braylon, but to his soul. "Give me the ring. Now."

It finally dawned on him. He was asking for the ring he received by that girl on Remnant. The ring he bragged about in their first encounter.

"I don't have it anymore."

His back impacted against the platform four times. Floating back up, his body was turned upside-down. The man never once changed his expression nor his tone. Until now, that is.

"You little turd! Do you have any idea who I am?!" His voice, while that of a human, echoed through the entire pocket dimension. Those demons nearest to him took a step back. Evidently it was not a good idea to make him angry. "I brought misery to mortals, I started wars, I ruined civilizations with a flick of my fingers, I invented lies! And you think you can lie to me?"

Braylon growled silently. He was too afraid to do anything else.

"Who are you? Where are you from? How old are you? Does it matter? To me? To anyone here? To the whole creation? No! It doesn't! What do you think is the purpose…!" he waved a hand in a circle, "...of this all? Your existence is meaningless! You have no purpose outside following orders, like a dog that you are! Like the rest of mortalkind!", he calmed down, "And this is my final order. Give me the ring."

"W… why do you need it a… anyway?" Something invisible coiled around his neck, almost crushing his windpipe. "F… fahk… you!"

"You know I have many methods to convince you, right? None of them are good for you."

"..."

The man, unaffected by Braylon's hateful gaze, rubbed his chin.

"Tsk. Imagine my disappointment. Of the worst mortal race, He gave it to you, the most worthless of all. What do you have that other mortals don't? Don't tell me, he choose a dud on purpose!" He grinned. Other demons laughed as loudly and obnoxiously as they could. "Has the old man finally lost it? I knew it would happen, honestly. It's why I deserve to be up there." He turned Braylon again. "What was He thinking? You are the reason we are free. Does he think you will be..." Although his face remained the same expressionless mask, he noticed a tiny hint of anger in the man's voice. "The Doom Slayer."

Although Braylon couldn't move his head, he noticed some shifting in the crowds at the far ends of his vision. Who was this "Doom Slayer"?

"I see. You were a bait. He wants to free the Doom Slayer." Tiny flames could be seen inside his pupils. He swung with his walking stick, forming a rift with way more easiness than he had the right to have. "Take care of this fool! Make sure he returns to Hell. I have more important things to take care of."

" _Understood._ "

As the words echoed inside his thoughts, Braylon was violently thrown into the rift. Falling through a vortex of colors, wind and energy drained his aetherial shield completely, before he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. The only difference being that this light served more to point out the darkness rather than driving it away.

* * *

The Vault Hunter was happy he could touch concrete again, though he wished he could evade landing so harshly on it as he did. His skin was scratched in some places, but nothing was broken. Flipping to his feet, he looked around frantically at his surroundings. It was a wasteland made of buildings damaged beyond repair. A big gray sea as far as the eye could see, as above so below. Though he wished he could forget, he remembered that other wasteland with the sun stuck in a permanent eclipse. He was supposed to feel sad and depressed, but that is impossible once you reach the bottom of the emotional barrel. Horror became a constant lately.

He was somewhat surprised to hear gunshots in the distance, even more when a pair of Caconoids flew above him and into a distant building. His jaw dropped when, near the horizon, some helicopter-like vehicles flew around a shape that his mind recognized as a dragon, even though he never saw one. It even breathed fire.

" _Another fucking battlefield?! Give me a break, damn it all!_ "

A door scratched against the floor. He spun around only to see a tall humanoid… thing. It had yellowish skin, with arms and legs like bags jam-packed with watermelons. Really tough watermelons, wrapped in scrap metal.

Although it was a wonder how such a thing could even walk without any anatomical difficulty, it seemed to ignore Braylon entirely, heading straight for a pile of mutilated organs packed in a bag made of something that used to be a metallic fence. It fell on its knees, groaned slowly and took a bite of a skinless leg, clueless about the world around it. Braylon went for his Unforgiven when he noticed a girl standing to the left.

"You again.", Braylon spat, "I guess it ignoring me is your doing."

She was silent.

"Don't bother with the silent treatment. If you have something to say, then-"

"You are alive. As I said you would be."

"Yeah. Let's ignore I lost my damn hand in all of that… whatever it was."

"I am not your enemy."

"Is that even relevant anymore?"

"I told you to ignore their serpentine tongues. Why did you forget my warnings?"

"Kinda hard remembering something when you are experiencing things no mortal should..."

"It is not the first time you encountered demons. Mortals encounter them through their entire lives. They change their methods, their appearance, their words. But they are always one and the same. What you experienced was just one of their many destructive ways, no different from others who share the same goal." She pointed at the ruins of the city. "Who do you think did this? Those persuaded by greed, fear and lust for power. Who persuaded them? The same enemy that wants to break you and your spirit." A flock of Harpies flew between them.

"But why me? Why it had to be me?!"

"Who else than the one who set them free, as it was in their plan?"

"Plan? What?"

"Has it ever occurred to you how exactly you came to find and open that Vault? Have you thought about your years-long journey, your "adventure", that culminated with the so-called greatest achievement a human could accomplish? What fueled this seemingly fanatic search for the Vault? The same things that fueled all your crimes."

Braylon was speechless.

"...Wait… you mean to say..." He gulped. "You mean to say that… that..."

"Nothing happens coincidentally. Once you were hooked, like the rest of mortal races, they knew you could be manipulated to serve their ends. Through hardship, mortals can be forged into heroes or villains. You were no exception to that rule."

"But… but, but why nobody stopped me?!"

"You had every chance to stop yourself. You had people who cared for you, not just your parents. Did you forget all the things you lost? Have you learned nothing from it all?"

His face was hidden in the darkness.

"It's all my fault… I..."

"The destruction of a whole solar system, the mass murder of an entire town, assisting the extermination of another equally violent species. Your entire history is written down and recorded in detail."

"… I see..."

"Stand up."

"…?"

"Your actions, as horrible as they might be, aren't unforgivable. Others of your kind may never forgive you, true. But your kind also carries the seed of corruption, like every mortal race out there. They are incapable of being entirely good. Your ally will forgive you, if you wish to change yourself."

"How? I am a monster. I've been a monster since I picked up a gun. Since… I lost my parents."

"Gold can be reforged. If you truly wish so, you can begin again. It will be a hard and dangerous road, because the evil forces will do everything to bring you to your ruin. To them, you are no different from all other mortals; yet another one that needs to be destroyed, be it spiritually or physically."

"I… I am just tired of this story. These past months are like a blur to me. I was convinced to find these Maidens and kill them so that the demon could leave Remnant alone, thinking how I would be unable to save other realities. And everything, everything, had to come in my way to stop me from that. It is really frustrating."

"That is because they abused your sense of guilt to trick you into doing their bidding, while also doing everything they could to stop you, giving it more validity. The truth is different. By killing the Maidens, you would disrupt that reality's natural balance, plunging it into chaos. It was a false promise of redemption for your sins. Luring you into thinking about the worst possible outcomes, they offered you one where you had to destroy something in order to save something else, claiming it is the best and only option for you."

"What?!"

"There exists a mysterious being, who has a special role in the mortal suffering. It is a created being, endowed with knwoledge and abilities that overcomes mortalkind. He is the enemy of every mortal nature, life and destiny. This being is envious of mortal happiness and will do everything to destroy it. To reach his goal, which is complete destruction, he will use trickery and lies. He was a killer and a liar from the beginning. To you humans, he is known as the Devil, or the Dark Lord of the Fourth Age. This is why I told you to not loose hope. As long as there is light that shines brightly, darkness will never prevail."

"Huh? Those words..."

"Today that light shines upon you. Begin again, leave behind the past and focus on the present. Those close to you are your friends. Watch out for each other, so that the enemy can't ambush you."

"But… I never had friends. Those guys back at home were really just partners and..."

"That is not true. You have friends. They are on Remnant."

"Who?"

"You know already."

"But they don't know half of what I do!"

"Then be their teacher. That is how you can help in this war."

"..."

"Do you accept?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes you do. You always had and always will."

"Then… then I want to choose the right thing. I want to send them back to Hell and restore everything as it was before that Vault was opened!"

She nodded.

"How do I start?"

"Get rid of that cursed object around your neck first."

Braylon blinked, then looked down on the pendant. He threw it on the ground and smashed it with his foot. His ears rang loudly for ten seconds.

"Dear God, what was that?"

"Your soul is now free from the curse that object brought upon it."

"I guess I should now use the-?"

"When the time comes."

"But… what is that ring? Why did the man asked me for it?"

"Patience."

"Alright then. What now?" He shrugged.

"You will help the survivors of this already-bleeding world fend off the invaders."

"Heh... How, exactly?"

"You will fight against them and win."

"Um, not to ruin the mood, but I think my guns can't do much against them..."

"Do you believe me?"

"..."

"Yes or no?"

"...Yes."

"Then prove it."

"But how? I can't kill them!"

"Defeating them in battle will be enough for now. Your main focus is their Dark Obelisk. Do you believe you can destroy it?"

"I don't know..."

"There is no middle ground in this war. Either you do or you do not. Do you want to let them destroy another world?"

"No."

"Do you want to let them roam free as they please?"

"No."

"Do you want to let someone else experience what you did?"

"No!"

"Then fight. Fight and keep fighting without fear of the enemy. You can't do this alone, you are not an island, so gather courage and strength from your greatest ally in the whole creation. Protect the weak, save the lost, care for others and learn to recognize the forces of evil. This is the true power that will lead you to victory. Your enemy is nothing like you, or any other mortal, have faced before. It is cunning, it is cruel, it is strong. Yet it fails to acknowledge the simplest of things which require a kind and humble heart. It perverts the truth without knowing what it is. It twists nature to create monsters, who die at the hands of the weak. Do you understand?"

He gulped.

"Yes, I guess."

"Go now. You have a world to save."

"Wait! I don't know your name! Who are you?"

The girl turned around, revealing a faint smile.

"I am your guardian angel."

When she disappeared, the yellow-skinned giant jerked slightly, dropping a piece of meat. It slowly turned around to face Braylon. Its scrawny, shrivelled face and chest were the complete opposite of the muscular limbs. But the mindless roar and the glowing red eyes were a clear sign of demonic corruption. *

(Doom: Demon Eclipse – Monitoring Station)

Braylon shot its head with Unforgiven. The bullet went through the forehead, but the creature simply staggered. A second shot had the same effect. It took a third shot to send it over the edge.

" _That must have been one of the xenos who live in this reality. I better get going._ "

He ran for the door, successfully escaping from a flock of Harpies. Between stairs and elevator, he chose the latter, despite looking like it wasn't used for quite some time, like everything else in that reality.

" _Are you ready for another performance?_ " The demonic voice returned.

"What happened to the other bastard who used to contact me?"

" _I would rather worry about myself, if I were you._ "

The demon used its trick once more to assault him with images of the future. He now knew what dangers waited for him, from start to finish. But unlike the last time, Braylon focused all his mental power to fight against it, trying to either ignore them or replace them with thoughts of his own.

"It won't work twice, fuck off!"

" _Time will tell the truth, correct?_ " It left him with an audible, smug grin.

" _I need to find a way to get around this bullshit! And quick!_ "

The elevator dinged. He was now a few levels above the ground floor. Down the ruined hallway two more yellow-skinned giants, each holding a rifle, shambled towards Braylon. Their hands were glowing bright orange, like molten metal. **

Based on the projection, he would walk out of the elevator and the two would start firing with their rifles. Because of the nature of their attacks, going straightforward would be a suicide. Instead, Braylon would go for the nearest door on the right and enter into an empty room where a Sawcubus waited for him. From there, he would jump through a hole, reaching the ground floor and then make a run for the exit.

He stepped outside.

The yellowskins fired with the rifles from their hips. Two bullets zipped near him like orange tracers. The bullet holes were burning.

" _Shit! That's Incendiary ammunition!_ "

If he went forward, he would be shot and killed.

He had to go through that door.

He had to.

…

Did he really?

It was time to think things through, danger be damned. The corrupted giants were firing from their hips. From that range, it would be hard to hit him. He could shoot them effortlessly.

Then it hit him as they fired again.

" _Of course. I should have known._ "

The Omni-Cannon pinged as it fired a bullet at the giant's head. As it fell down, the other one fired again, hitting Braylon in the hip. Grimacing, he quickly pulled the trigger before he lost focus. The remaining enemy was dead.

It hurt. Even more so because it was also a bullet wound. A bullet wound set on fire.

" _Fucking hell!_ "

Even though he berated himself for not avoiding the bullet fast enough, he smiled to himself as he finally broke free from the demonic spell. Well, more a trick than an actual spell. Now that he knew how the trick worked, he would be immune to its effects.

When he ran past the door he was supposed to go through, the Sawcubus tore it open with the chainsaw, screeching incoherently. It blocked a short burst of Ajax's Spear, so Braylon shot its legs enough to make it fall. Three more bursts were needed to stop it from moving.

" _I did! I actually did it! My first, actual, victory!_ "

His victory would end once he went around the corner, because a Rahovart flew through a giant hole on the left wall, where a piece of a radio tower connected that building with one on the opposite side of the road. Sounds of battle could be heard coming from somewhere outside.

Braylon had to retreat as a yellow energy ball made his cover erupt into dust and detritus. Cursing, he dashed back to room where the Sawcubus was hiding. His heart threatened to quit its job.

" _You can't fight fate, mortal._ "

" _Fate my ass._ "

The Vault Hunter screamed as the wall exploded, just half a meter from his left. He pointed the Ajax's Spear at the hole, waiting for the Rahovart. Instead, he got blasted away by another explosion, almost falling into the hole. No assault rifle round in the magazine was precious enough that Braylon wouldn't discharge at the somewhat round shape in the thin veil of dust, even if his hip hurt. He stopped firing only when said shape descended with the loudness of a wet rag.

" _Yes! How's that for fate?!_ "

Giving a middle finger to the demon, he chose to go for the makeshift bridge. As he went into the hallway, he heard something teleport around the corner. It was a group of four Imp Grunts. Although more aggressive than before, they were no mach for Braylon's wall of explosive death, much to his delight. He finally felt as he made some actual progress.

Stepping on the makeshift bridge wasn't as easy as one would think. The metal would creak with each step and it wasn't because of his weight. Below, on the street, all hell broke loose. Two Hell Razers were covering behind a burning car, shooting at two people down the street, who had piled sandbags as the only protection from the beams of death. Those people wore some metallic armor from head to toe. Try to imagine someone willing to create a bulletproof vest that would cover the whole body, but ended up making a human-sized tank. The road between the two sides was littered with corpses of horseshoe crabs on steroids. Horseshoe crabs on two legs.

" _I better get outta here._ "

He was halfway done when a Pain Elemental teleported at the end of the bridge.

"Oh, Hell no!"

Braylon spun around and ran back to the building, crouching as a Lost Soul flew overhead and into the wall without destroying itself, though Braylon did that. The pain Elemental grimaced when bullets flew its way, some of them grazing its hide. Braylon wished his Bumblebee worked as it should.

Something hollered to the right. Braylon saw the two men in armor point and fire at something hidden behind some ruins. Then, a giant blue fist crackling with electricity came out and hit them like an asteroid. Asphalt, concrete and other debris rained from the sky as a cloud of smoke shot upwards. Before Braylon jumped through the hole, he saw an Oni with blue skin, long black hair covering its face save for the mouth with exposed lower canines. Not only it wielded the same club as its red counterpart. Its right hand generated more electricity than a power plant.***

And it turned in his direction.

" _That's a huge bitch!_ "

He didn't saw what its intention was nor he wished to find out. The Pain Elemental flew inside the building as well, just as Braylon went around the corner. Ammunition would soon become a problem, unless he looted the place, hoping to find the type of bullets he used. The entire building shook as the Oni tried to hit the Vault Hunter, its fist going through walls like a hot knife through butter. Running towards the elevator, he understood that the fist didn't need to hit the enemy, because all that electricity it released would do the trick, something he discovered when he got hit. He was so happy he had the Cationic Insulator A-045 installed, even though it would work more efficiently if the damn Shield wasn't a traitor with the worst timing ever.

" _C-c-c-c-c-crap!_ "

Shaking like a Loader with a seizure, the Vault Hunter tried his best to ignore the pain and move away from the Pain Elemental's line of sight, attracted to his pain. He had no choice but to waste the last available grenade as soon as the electricity loosened its grip. If the explosion didn't banish it, the collapsing roof did.

" _They really want me to go through that damn hole! Fuck them!_ "

Braylon used the elevator to go one level higher, since the one he left was useless. It was devoid of enemies, thank God, but there were no visible routes he could exploit. Following the corridor, he discovered two armor-wearing corpses, heads missing. One of them had their body bent in ways that shouldn't be possible. Their blood was used to draw an eye inside a circle and a triangle. He felt like it turned to watch him whenever he changed the angle. Searching their bodies blessed him with an improvised rifle made of junk and nails used for railways, which he deduced was the ammo, as ridiculous as it sounds. Everything can be used to kill, so...

A building from the other side of the street clung to the one he stood in. Going through the window, he reached the nearest window frame and climbed inside the ruins. He saw a group of centaurs galloping as they used their bows on something. Two of them were killed by a heavy dose of lead. Their corpses faded, as it was standard for all hellspawn.

Soon the ruins were crawling with Vulgars and Imp Peons that came out from every nook and cranny. Even Harpies tried to reach Braylon. There were so many of them that he was forced to ignore them and use all his skills to reach the first door he could come across, burying the passage by shooting the ceiling with Ajax's Spear.

He was now in an F-shaped hallway. A man in black combat armor came out from the first corner. He fell, but it didn't stop him from crawling tot he wall. He took a pistol and fired at something.

"No! No! Don't come closer!"

Braylon stood still, waiting for whatever to show up so he could shoot it down. He frowned when he noticed a large black stain on the wall, just above the man's head, something that wasn't there before. In few seconds, a large head emerged from the stain, resembling a Ravager Demon's but black as a shadow. No facial features were present, even though the shape suggested them. It was a demon that opened its "mouth", swallowed the man down to his waist and sunk back into the wall, like a shark from a horror movie. The stain then ran down the second corridor, never leaving the wall. ****

" _...I'm beginning to regret my decisions._ "

Hoarse breathing came from around the corner. Braylon went for the trigger. A humanoid shambled forward, resembling an icy counterpart of a Scorched One. ***** It went down with a couple of bullets, exploding like a Cryo grenade from back home. He was surprised when another one stood at the end of the hallway, tearing a chunk of itself. Braylon ran left, opened the door and went downstairs. Jumping through a window the moment he heard a Mancubus, the Vault Hunter ran towards a small military outpost, where some men in armor were still alive and kicking. He had to wave with his hands like a lunatic to avoid getting shot.

"Hey! Hey! I'm a friendly! Don't shoot!"

They lowered their assault rifles. He wished he could see their faces.

"…What the fuck happened to you?" Someone said through their helmet. Braylon blinked and looked down. He was covered in dried blood and looked like a hobo with those ruined clothes of his. His reply was cut short when two of them had to shoot at a pack of Tainted dogs.

"I still don't understand what the fuck is going on." One of them commented.

"If only we could contact the Citadel. Damn it!"

Braylon wanted to say something when he was interrupted again.

"Shit! It's another one!"

"What are you…?"

He saw it. A thin, light blue demon with some wing-like appendages and something resembling a crown at the back of its head. It summoned a Baron of Hell before disappearing incredibly fast. A red streak zipped past Braylon. ******

"Shit! We need to- Aargh!"

A Wraith inexplicably appeared behind a soldier and killed it with such ease that it made the armor look pointless.

"Fire! Fire, god damn it!"

The demon teleported away before it anything could be done. Braylon paid little attention to what happened, because he tried to deal with the Baron, with pathetic results. He had no idea if Ajax's Spear could even damage it. When fear got the best of him, he simply turned around and ran away, leaving the rest of the soldiers to their fate, cursing himself for being so weak.

" _I can't! I can't do shit! They are strong! Too strong!_ "

Braylon avoided fighting as much as possible. Each demon he encountered was way more aggressive than he remembered, taking a lot of punishment before dying. One Bull Demon had half of its face blown off before it fell. And while he had enough luck and skill to flee from danger, by going through buildings and alleyways, those soldiers did not. Every now and then he would find a group of two to five. Those who weren't laying in their own blood did their best to fend off the demonic threat, which had both numbers and power on their side. Their armies or groups consisted of Tainted local wildlife, like scorpions the size of a car or even the occasional Deathclaw as Jaune dubbed it, those possessed yellow giants and some Former Humans who wore some black, metallic armor with a helmet that made him think of insects for some reason. Those were problematic because they had the bad habit of using some primitive laser guns and even plasma-based weaponry, though nothing like his Fornax.

The worst one was that shadow-like demon. Braylon saw it everywhere he went, as if it stalked him, which he feared it was actually the case. Another thing that bugged him was the destination, which was exactly the one he received back in those visions, although his route changed drastically. He didn't bother learning why.

* * *

(Doom PSX - Track20)

This destination was the metro. From his snooping around in the nearest office, he discovered that said metro was part of Washington D.C. That really blew his mind. How could a historical city become such a dumpster fire? More importantly, was that his reality? He hoped the answer wasn't what he thought it was. He had no idea what would he be capable of if it did.

There was no life in the station, except for some zombie-looking creatures lurking in the darkness. They were easy targets. One of them was as bright as a light bulb. The Geiger counter became active when he approached its corpse, urging him to back away and go for the only available tunnel, where the slow descent into insanity took place.

Never before was darkness a problem for Braylon Monocriffe. He could simply alter his normal vision with the PDA and everything would be fine. But when he tried to do that in the tunnel, he found out that it had a very poor effect on his surroundings, being able to see only a fraction of the usual. It got progressively worse with each step. Still, he could see shadows dancing at the corners, looking like they would move every time he stopped focusing on them. The idea that one of those could easily be that demon that emerged from the wall like a shark made him more cautious than ever before. The darkness kept growing, thick and heavy.

One of the types of torture Braylon had to endure was the temporary loss of both eyesight and hearing, two things humans rely on from birth. But not a loss as we might imagine. Braylon could still use his eyes and ears. It's just that, there would be nothing to see and hear. He saw black, he heard nothing. The torture started when both senses began screaming how they wanted stimuli. His eyes couldn't even perceive shapes, desperately searching for any source of light. The ears would start buzzing, picking up the sound of heartbeats. That was happening now. He felt the gun in his grip, yet he couldn't see it or hear it go off. Breathing became problematic.

" _No! Not again! Aaargh!_ "

His finger held the trigger, Ajax's Spear shaking in his hands. Even now, when he could move, he was unable to do anything to change his situation. Was that a trick? A psychological manipulation? Sorcery? He cared not. He only wanted it to stop. To go away.

Something brushed past him. That was the moment he lost it and opened his mouth. Whether he screamed in rage or fear was up to debate. Dropping his gun, the Vault Hunter tried to swat away whatever brushed against him for a second time. It turned from once per minute to every few seconds. Occasionally he could feel claws scratching his skin. "Stop!" He wanted to scream. But all it came out was silence. It didn't took long for him to break down and fall on his knees, or at least he thought he did. Despair was like a suffocating blanket that wrapped around his mind. He knew what was happening and why, he just could do anything to fight back. It was a natural response of his brain he couldn't keep in check, even with the PDA.

" _God! Someone! Please! Help me! I beg you! I can't take this anymore!_ "

Immediately he saw a single, tiny, white dot. A mere speck of dust that increased in size and brightness at an alarming rate. A dome of light pushed the darkness away, revealing the shadow demon, who screamed loudly as it turned into black smoke. He had a feeling he would see her again.

"Why did you stop?" It was too bright to see her completely.

"I… I fell."

"I can see that. But why?"

"It was stronger than me."

"Your enemy is stronger than you. Immensely strong. Still, that is no reason to give up, is it?"

He was silent, staring at the ground in front of him. A hand gave him the assault rifle.

"This is your chance. Prove your willingness to go against the enemy. Or are you a coward?"

That stung.

"I am not a coward."

"And yet here you are."

"I am not a coward!"

"Then fight. Fight and fight until you defeated them all. Go."

Braylon took the rifle and unleashed all of his wrath through the vocal cords. At the same time the light died down, thus leaving him in front of an open gate that lead to a black wall of nothingness. He knew he had to return to the pocket dimension to finish the job. Only this time he wouldn't be locked in there with them.

They would be locked in there with him.

* * *

(Andrew Hulshult – Running From Evil)

Dark.

Darker.

And there he was. Back on a T-shaped bridge in suspended in nothingness, where fog reigns supreme.

" _You came back. Interesting._ _Show me what you got. No more acting. No more pretending._ "

He went right, towards a small island made of yellowish rock, devoid of everything. A Wraith teleported in front of him and swung with its arms but he jumped backwards. It teleported behind him. Twisting his body, Braylon crouched, avoiding a fatal attack, slammed the Ajax's Spear into its chest and fired ten rounds, right before he chopped its head off with Holo Sabre.

The demon wasn't even dead yet when an Ifrit appeared twenty meters away, bringing two Scorched Ones to the party. The floating monstrosity summoned a fireball while the Scorched Ones threw pieces of their flesh as fiery grenades. The Vault Hunter ran from the impact site, stopping when a Revenant flew out from below the island with its jet pack releasing a trail of smoke and fire behind it. Avoiding the Revenant's projectiles like bombs shot from a mortar, Braylon ran back towards the group of arsonists, destroying a Scorched One when he passed near them. Materializing Excalibastard, he shot down the flying skeleton by freezing its jet pack. It fell right on top the two remaining enemies. Leaving them where they were, our hero spun around, ran towards the edge of the island and jumped on a moving platform.

Said platform passed between several rows of small pillars, where an Imp Grunt would wait on top of it to rain fireballs on his head. He used Unforgiven to kill the first four, who fell below when he shot them enough times, but had to use Ajax's Spear on the pair of Hell Razers at the last two pillars. The way their limbs and heads exploded when the bullets made contact was a sight to behold.

Just when he thought about spending all of his ammo, the gun he picked up earlier popped into his mind. It took the whole trip to figure out how it worked and how to use those nails. The platform reached a small gate that belonged to a castle-like structure. A second before he put a foot forward, the gate sunk into the floor, a Peon waiting behind it. Surprised, Braylon pulled the trigger. Toot-toot, the gun wheezed, spitting out a very hot nail that buried itself into the Imp's forehead, ripping its head off and pinning it to the wall.

"Choo-choo, motherfuckers!"

Around the corner he killed a Lamia with another nail, vampire style. A second one waited right behind a wall to the left. He shot and struck her human stomach. She fell on the ground, screeching as the nail burned her flesh. Then, in a fit of maddening anger, she slid towards him. Braylon nonchalantly shot a nail into her head.

Turning right, he found an Imp Grunt guarding the passageway. It gawked as a nail pierced its chest, before the Vault Hunter jumped and kicked it downstairs. Giving a mental middle finger to whoever thought he would actually go downstairs, Braylon choose to go upstairs instead, where a Flesh Artist waited for him in the darkness.

He avoided three tentacles that came out of nowhere, but was left defenseless when said tentacles threw him against the wall. It hurt, yes, but not nearly as much as it did before. He didn't know why. What he knew, however, was to fake his injuries. Finally, after it showed up, Braylon opened his eyes, quickly grabbed the rifle and fired a nail at its leg. The scream it released as it fell echoed in his ears. While it was down, he used Holo Ripper to perform a vivisection. Its last dying breaths were spent on the usual provocative chortle.

There was a bridge he had to cross, to reach a tower, but a Ravager Demon stood in his way. As it charged forward, he fired a nail that hit it into the right eye. It roared and shook violently, before falling off said bridge as it made a wrong step. The last remaining nails were used for a Sawcubus that teleported in front of the door.

" _Who the fuck needs ammo for all of you?! I will kick your ass with my own hands!_ "

Inside the tower stood a teleporter surrounded by black candles. He stepped on it.

* * *

The scenery changed again. He stood on a large, rectangle-shaped platform made of large gray tiles, all equal in shape and material. The platform was suspended in air, above a gigantic city filled with everyday life. Pedestrians, cars, shops, everything that makes a city alive. Strangely, no one seemed to care about the platform above the city. He knew that because no one was panicking and no alarms went off. All of a sudden some strange red stars could be seen rising from the horizon. It was the middle of the day.

" _This is how their world ended._ _Observe carefully._ "

(Hunter x Hunter- Requiem Aranea)

It didn't took long for the stars to start expanding. One of them crashed into the ground, forming a blinding white flash. Another hit closer. And again. Soon, dozens of red stars fell from the sky. Each hit the ground, each wiped away a portion of the city. Between the pillars of fire and mushroom-shaped clouds, Braylon saw the sky above him twisting unnaturally.

" _The exchange was brief. Millions died. Their world burned._ "

Among the clusters of shapes formed from nothingness, Braylon saw something sinking down. It was four giant pillars made of metal. Few minutes more, and the pillars turned into a large silver chassis like the Thalamus used, but way bigger. Monstrously bigger. Finally, its user showed up, falling slowly like a feather, until it reached the platform. A brain blacker than the void that fills the universe. So black, he couldn't make out any other features, except six tiny eyes, positioned in two vertical columns. It wore some kind of respiratory equipment connected to the chassis, which itself was equipped with giant turrets, big blocks of silver metal and everything else that screams war machine. Not even the oldest Skags on Pandora were that big. *******

" _Their entire history ended in less than a day. The survivors live on a corpse of a planet that used to be a sanctuary of life._ " The demon giant stared at Braylon. " _This is our power, human. This is our might. What could you ever do that would make you as worthy in our eyes as a tick?_ "

"You don't scare me anymore! I figured out your little trick and it won't work on me again! You're going down!"

" _Face it. You outlived your purpose. Now it is time for you to die._ "

"Bring it! I won't even need half of my arsenal to kick your ass!"

(DoomPowerMetal – City of Blood)

One of the turrets installed on the chassis fired some orange, pebble-sized bullets, which spread everywhere rather than hit one fixed target. Meanwhile, a cannon-shaped turret fired two giant shells that exploded in mid-air. Heated shards of metal rained from above. The fight barely started and Braylon already fell into a trap without doing anything.

The bullets were somewhat easy to dodge by jumping, ducking or running. In reality, they were never meant to be an actual problem, as their lower speed and randomized trajectories made them more of a distraction for the bigger threat: the metal that rained from the sky. Some of it would fall on his shoulders and back for a few seconds. That was all it took for the pain receptors under his skin to scream. Now he knew how the cattle felt when farmers would brand them. The demon went on the far end of the platform. It took Braylon an entire minute to figure out why.

" _Did he predict I would attack?_ "

A third turret sprung up from the mash of metal. It was a cannon number two. This one had a long but thin barrel made of glass. A green sphere was forming at the end of it. When it reached half of the demon's size, it was thrown forward. Not knowing what to do about it, the Vault Hunter materialized Nukem and fired a rocket at the giant cluster of whatever it was. The collision produced an explosion of green light that sent him flying backwards, despite it being some fifty meters away from him.

" _I need to take out that fucking cannon!_ "

He materialized Omni-Cannon as he got up. Using the scope, he saw the cannon charging again, only this time that green sphere was much smaller. It was also much, much faster. He barely dodged the first one when the cannon began firing consecutively. The damage output was reduced to increase the speed of the projectile as well as the rate of fire. Each shot had perfect timing, leaving no room for any kind of counterattack for the Vault Hunter, unless he willingly took one and gave one back. The demon probably banked on it. Seeing how fatigue had finally started to take its toll. He wouldn't be able to dodge forever.

" _No! There must be another way!_ "

But where to shoot? Braylon thought of the cannon. Getting rid of that thing would make his life easier. But would it turn things in his favor? He was far from the demon, so the only two weapons he could use were Excalibastard and Omni-Cannon, both of which had their ammo supply almost depleted, save for a couple of shots. Then, an idea appeared out of nowhere, as if it were whispered into his mind. For the cannon to move, its user had to move as well. And while the metallic body was fast when it came to walking, it had trouble with rotation. That was the plan; to try and circle around, then deal a powerful blow.

The cannon ceased firing when Braylon ran to the right, out of its range. It was then when he took the sniper rifle and fired at the barrel. The entire thing exploded in green fire as the demon's body shook, then hobbled like a drunken sailor on a ship. Braylon invested a little bit more of energy into the fastest sprint he could pull off to reach the demon. As he ran, he noticed something strange. A single ray of light shone from the sky and on the front right leg of the robotic body, on the place where the connection was loosened enough that the entire limb could fall off. If used carefully, it could give him the victory.

The orange energy bullets that used to fly all over the place by one of the turrets now went in a straight line as the demon fired relentlessly, despite having trouble controlling its lower body. Braylon dodged them all, materialized Nukem and fired the second-to-last mini-nuke to the left pair of legs. Even the skyscraper-sized fire that ran rampant in the background failed to outshine the mini-nuke when it went off. The blast, while inefficient in causing serious damage as it was fired at the ground and not at the demon, brought enough force to knock the demon to the right. The loosened leg fell off and the entire thing collapsed like a tree. Flesh could be heard being forcefully torn away from the chassis as the entire upper body slapped on the platform. Metal tubes stuck out from the wound, still connecting the chassis and its user.

" _There is no room left for doubt now._ " It said when Braylon went close enough, loading the shot that would end the battle. " _You received aid from the other camp._ "

"Really? How do you know?"

" _Because I designed this body specifically to make all the vulnerable points exposed for you to see and use, which would end in you loosing your life as you become more confident and lower your guard. Instead you went for… a rather unorthodox_ _strategy. Never before did a mortal do such a thing._ "

Braylon lowered his head.

" _It hurts you, doesn't it? The truth. Yet again, you did something with the help of others. You proved once again how weak mortals are._ "

"Your tricks won't work again on me."

Six red eyes squinted.

"It is true that I was helped, at least I believe so, now that you pointed it out. But unlike all the times before, this time I didn't follow orders because "thou must". It was just an advice I decided to take. I could as well reject it entirely. Either way, you lost."

It was silent for a while, before it laughed, louder and louder.

" _I guess there is a first time for everything. It really doesn't matter, not to me. I accomplished my goal._ "

"Which is?"

" _I bought time._ "

"Time? Time for what?"

Even though he couldn't see it, Braylon knew the demon grinned. Angry, the Vault Hunter threatened to use his rocket launcher.

" _A word of warning, even if it won't change the outcome. I just heard Tammuz has set his sights on you. I suppose I should congratulate you, mortal. You really became as worthy as a tick in our eyes. And ticks…_ _will_ _be eliminated._ "

The last mini-nuke dug into the demonic flesh and exploded, creating a huge red mixture of blood and meat that rained across the platform. The background of fire and destruction suddenly turned black and silent. A new platform, holding the Dark Obelisk, flew out of nowhere and connected to the one he stood on. Unlike the previous model, this Obelisk was even bigger and way more complex. It portrayed some fish-human hybrids and gargoyles that flew or crawled around a gigantic pillar made of skulls. He wasn't sure if the engravings and sculptures were alive or if it was just his tremendous fatigue.

He had to act quickly. Even the enhanced bodies needed rest from time to time and he was on the verge of physical collapse. The adrenaline-like drugs that the PDA pumped into his system during the entire trek started to wear off, causing him to fall down. Equipping the Unforgiven, Braylon destroyed the big triangular crystal on the top of the Obelisk. Although it took a lot of effort and bullets, partly because of his poor aim, it crumbled into pieces. The entire reality turned upside down as his eyes closed for one last time.

* * *

Our heroic teenager woke up inside a Bullhead, with team JNPR sitting on the opposite side, silent and awkward. They paid little attention to him, however, as Nora and Pyrrha were more focused on their male partners, who barely replied to their questions and decided it would be better if they were silent for the time being. Through their thousand-yard stares told him how their brains were in an entirely different place, he nodded slightly when they glanced at him. He had no idea what they experienced back in that reality where he left them, but he was glad everything returned to normal, or as normal as it could get. To demonstrate how he appreciated their help, and how he was sad about the consequences, Braylon let Jaune keep the Energy Pistol.

His first shock of the day (apparently the sun was rising when they were retrieved) happened when, during the conversation, he casually discovered that an entire week had passed while they were gone. And what a week. Pyrrha and Nora, along with the survivors, went back to Beacon, although they returned on the island two more times and checked every possible place, hoping to find their partners and Braylon. Unfortunately, the story spread around like wildfire and soon found media coverage. Every corpse was cremated indiscriminately to "prevent accidents" and the island was put under a heavily-guarded quarantine. Ever since then the island became the subject of many strange, and creepy, events. Scientists who tried to work there often reported hearing disembodied voices, inexplicable illnesses and even encounters with unexplained phenomena, while some simply disappeared, never to be heard from again. It was unnerving how the flora and fauna doubled in size, to the point that the island looked like humanity never set foot on its soil. Not all of it was local.

It was surprising how one week could bring so much change. Braylon had a lot to learn. But not now. Later, after he took a much-needed nap back at Beacon, nightmares be damned. He walked up to the window near JNPR's seats and checked out the distant island, smaller and smaller as time passed. It really did look a lot greener than before. But what made him frown was a tiny, barely noticeable detail, hiding in the middle of all that vegetation. It was a dot of aetherial green light, flashing invitingly, or perhaps repellingly, like a miniature star where mankind fears to tread.

* * *

 **DAMN! The trailer for Borderlands 3 looked awesome! ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN!**

 **On a less meme-y note, the arc is finally completed. Now comes a filler which will explain what happened on Remnant while Braylon and co. were gone. And boy do I wait to write it all. None of it is good. For Remnant, not for us. I think we will have fun for what comes next.  
**

 **So the big reveal finally happened. The demons decided that shit is about to get real (for real!) and that it is time to get rid of Braylon, now that the other side revealed the truth. No more bullshit, no more acting, only a heavy dose of EXTERMINATE! A Doom addict might say that the difficulty just turned from Hurt Me Plenty to Ultraviolence. The fic will probably deviate from the RWBY canon.  
**

 **Have you guessed where Braylon went? I think I gave some really big hints in the chapter, plus the gun which shoots fucking nails used for railways. Who needs guns with legs when you can kill a motherfucker with a well-placed nail in the head?**

 **The "boss" is a heavily-modified Spider Mastermind from the classic games. It's defeat came to my mind when I saw the original's death animation, falling sideways and exploding, but I wanted to make it fall with an actual reason for it. If you played Brutal Doom, you can execute an Arachnotron by ripping off the fleshy part from the mechanical body. The demon then crawls around until you kill it. Makes it look like, if you remove the tech, they become powerless.**

 **That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope even more you will follow the fic until the end. I was thinking that, after I complete this one, I either write the prequel or a sequel. For now I am leaning on the prequel. Bear in mind that, like this fic, it will not be your "classic" borderlands. There will be horror, paranormal, sci-fi, action, guns. Each arc, or even chapters will be stories on their own, much like comics or comic books.** **How will that turn out, I have no idea.**

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Coffin Seller**

 **\- Blue/Unique item**

 **\- "You know, for the vampires." (Each shot is a critical hit)**

 **-** **The heated nails cause bonus Incendiary damage (they cannot set enemies on fire)**

 **\- Piercing damage (ignores armor)**

 **\- Low rate of fire, low ammo capacity, accuracy decreases with distance**

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Newest Addition:** Coffin Seller

 **1) HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw

 **2)** **Pistol:** Unforgiven

 **3)** **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **4)** **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear, Coffin Seller

5) **Rocket Launcher:** Nukem, Leviathan

 **6) Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **7) Energy Weapons:** Excalibastard, Vulcan, Fornax

 **8) Remnant-only:** Vulcan

 **9) Shield:** Bumblebee

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #** **103:** Helltouched Servant

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Human, I know how this creatures came to be. It is a tale that is, sadly, very frequent among mortalkind. It involves experimentation done on members of your own species, by cruel and dark hearts. And now, they are corrupted even further, turning into mindless servants of the enemy. I beg you, whenever you encounter one, end their suffering as fast and as painless as possible._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #104:** Helltouched Embereye

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Servants imbued with the energies of Hell. Unlike the other group, the Embereyes have the ability to use guns for long-ranged attacks, powered by demonic sorcery. I recommend going for hand-to-hand combat, as it is unlikely they will be able to defend themselves._ " (Attacks deal bonus Incendiary damage)

* * *

 *****Entry #105:** Oni – Thunder Fist

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _The Oni are a tribe of demons that used to infest the origin planet of your species, Earth. They were so prevalent in certain regions, that your kind went so far as to make the myth that the truly wicked individuals would become one. After the demons lost the war, the Oni wanted to take revenge on mortals by wreaking havoc_ _and turning them miserable. The "Thunder Fists", a sub-type of the Oni tribe which is capable of manipulating electricity, were the most active of them all, as they used to take long journeys rather than stay in caves or mountains. Many warriors had to fight bravely to fend off their attacks._ " (Immunity to Shock Damage, attacks deal Shock Damage)

* * *

 ******Entry #106:** Hidden Shadow

 **Type:** Demon – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _From the Biography of Antoine D'Aubert, year 2567: "_ _There was a time when things weren't so complicated. Being a scribe who had to rewrite entire manuscripts with ink and feathers could be really rewarding sometimes. One day, I stumbled upon a dusty old tome, with covers made of some black wood I've never seen before. I knew it had to be something special when I noticed that several pages were missing. That book was the reason of my current predicament. Lazily, I flipped through several pages, just to see what the contents were about. There was this teeny tiny song, not longer than one page, with a drawing of something I couldn't imagine even in the darkest of my nightmares. Yet, my curiousity was stronger than reason, so I decided to read the song. One particular part stuck with me: And when the shadows fall upon your bed,_ _know that your life will be soon drowned in red. For the Hidden Shadow will come for your soul, the price to pay for your cursed toll..._ "

* * *

 *******Entry #107:** Frozen One

 **Type:** Demonic Corruption - Aetherial

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I cannot stress enough the importance of emotions, even after your physical death. In Hell, the negative emotions can drastically alter the state of your soul. Those who had cold hearts and even colder lips, whose God was their egoism, now wander in the forms of Frozen Ones: beings so cold, they turn everything around them into ice._ " (Extremely weak to Incendiary damage, physical contact deals aetherial+cryo damage. Explodes after death.)

* * *

 ********Entry #108:** Summoner

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Summoners are Imps who are in the middle of achieving the Arch-Imp status. Some choose to remain in this position, using their sorcery to "spam-summon" combatants into the battlefield. There is one downside, however: they can only teleport one demon at a time, which is why Gore Nests are still used. They cannot summon other Summoners._ "

* * *

 *********Entry #109:** Irkgor'Daal, The Overmind

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Irkgor'Daal, called "The Overmind". He used to be a very wise and talented individual. In Hell, he wasted those talents to loose himself in endless schemes and plans. Few understand his intentions and desires. Despite being the author of some of the tragedies that fell upon the historical shoulders of mortals, those who follow his commands often question his authority and reasons. There were even times when his schemes ended up being counterproductive to demons, but never was he judged for it by his comrades. Luckily, those plans which, if successful, would create massive catastrophes for entire mortal species, were always a failure thanks to the ever-watchful architect of everything that is created._ "


	35. The Worst Thing

(Borderlands 2 – Badass Crater of Badassitude (Ambience))

Things were far worse than he feared. It all went horribly, horribly wrong. Braylon realized that once the Bullhead arrived at Beacon. Journalists and big crowds of students targeted them like condors, bombarding them with pointless questions or simply begging to comment about some "facts" regarding them and the island. He seriously wanted to punch a man with a moustache who had the balls to ask if they were responsible for the chaos that happened. Thankfully some first-years helped them escape into the halls of the academy, where they went straight for their dorms, leaving to the headmaster that hot potato. When Braylon closed the door behind him, he yelled as much as his vocal cords allowed him to, flipping the table and punching the wall repeatedly. Those students who happened to be in the hall or on the other side of that wall thought some heads would roll, hopefully not theirs. Quietly, they left as fast as possible.

It was so damn frustrating for the Vault Hunter. He wanted to cover up everything. He wanted to keep it all quiet, because he knew what happens when an entire city starts panicking. Even worse, this story painted one giant target on his back for every organization out there that would gladly torture him for information, hire him in their ranks or just kill him, like the Dahl Corporation.

Speaking of Dahl, our audience will like this one. Braylon went on the internet to check the news sites, as it was a good place to start. The second most-viewed article, after the one with pictures of Aetherial monsters and the island incident, was one regarding the arrival of Atlas military to Vale… alongside Dahl's equivalent. It was such a shock to the teenager, it blew his fucking mind. For what reason did they decide to go public all of a sudden?

Then he read further: "General James Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas Academy and the general of Atlesian Military, today introduced the kingdom's newest partner: a private military formed by Dahl Corporation, a weapons manufacturer located in the heart of the kingdom. Both sides joined forces to retrieve a newest prototype of a mysterious vehicle that crash-landed in Mountain Glenn. However, the general said, Dahl Corporation is willing to hire local Huntsmen and Huntresses to help them fend off an inexplicable amount of Grimm that, just recently, appeared at Mountain Glenn. They would even go so far as to hire the Huntsmen-in-training for "fattening the CV and gain experience on the field"..."

Some pics were attached to the article. One of them had a face that looked like it was born for mugshots. That was James Ironwood. Another pic displayed the Atlas military and the Dahl military, marching side by side. The differences were so big, it was ridiculous. On one side, you had tin cans and humans with some third-rate rifles. On the other, you had men looking like they were ready to start a world war. Even the Atlesian robots paled in comparison to the mech suits. Of course, that not-so-tiny detail was pointed out, especially in those sites that liked conspiracy theories a bit too much. Only Braylon knew the reason. They declared open season on his ass.

Another reason why Atlas came to Vale was because of the most recent Grimm activity, fueled by Braylon's and JNPR's recent escapades. The hordes grew in size and strength, giving Huntsmen another reason to ask for bigger rewards, those that remained alive of course. One day, a horde became powerful enough to breach the walls of the Agricultural District, making it a war zone, which only increased the output of negative emotions of fellow tax payers. For each Grimm slain, two more would take its place. And that is where the Atlesian military joined the game and where Dahl got the perfect opportunity to chimp out with their latest idea.

And just when it couldn't get worse, Braylon found out that two more people were found dead at Beacon, drained like the others. At that moment the still-unresolved problem returned to his thoughts with a sigh of despair. It was something he completely forgot about. Better, he put it in his to-do list somewhere way down when it should have been a top priority. He still failed to figure out who could be the host. That was the first step. He was on step zero.

" _This is going to suck. So. Fucking. Hard._ "

Knock. Knock.

"Come in." He didn't turn around to see who it was.

"Hey."

It was Ruby.

Alone.

He was quiet.

"Huh, um… how… are you? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah."

She probably noticed the mess in his room because her next, quiet words were: "You don't look like it."

"Just get to the point, Ruby. I am so damn tired."

"Ah, yes, yes." She replied quickly. "Braylon… you don't mind if I ask you about..."

"...About?"

"About the whole… spooky island… stuff?"

He turned around. His face was expressionless. She was sitting on the chair.

"What is there to ask? Did Jaune and Ren tell you everything? They did, didn't they?"

"No..."

"Ruby."

"...Yes." She panicked when he got up. "Pleasedon'tdoanythingstupidthatmighthurtsomeone..."

He sighed.

"Ruby, after everything I've been through ( _and after everything I learned)_ , do you really think I give a crap about them singing it all out like birds? They are broken. Of course they would tell you everything. They need a shoulder to cry on, I guess."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"I heard what they said. The way they talked… it sounded like you were… um..."

"Accustomed to the violence and horror and all that shit?"

"That. And please watch your language."

It was pointless to keep secrets, now that all cards have been revealed. Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep some form of privacy. Oh, before he forgot, he added a mental note to visit those two morons for some beating in the potential future. Maybe.

"Ruby." He started. "What I'm about to tell you needs to be between you and me. No one must know about this. Not even your team. No buts! I wont tell you if you just spread it around!" The air of defiance was still around her, but he realized he needed to make more pressure than he did on Jaune and Ren. "Ruby, this is sensitive information. If it falls in wrong hands, we, our friends, the entire planet, could be in grave danger and I am not talking about the Grimm." It was somewhat convincing. "I believe you and your team are the best Beacon has to offer ( _bullshit_ ) should anything happen in Vale like it happened on that island."

"It could happen here too?!"

"Sssh! Quiet, you dunce!" She sat on the chair again. "Now listen carefully."

He told her that he was, technically, an alien, since he wasn't native to Remnant. Before she jumped around him and begged like a dog to show his weapons, he told her he was human, just not from that reality. At first, she looked confused, as any kid her age would, so he had to dumb the whole story down, especially the whole "trip to Hell" part. He thought he failed to do his job because her next words were "Wow. Awesome.", to which he felt the need to repeat the speech about the most recent events again.

"Okay. I get it. But..." She smiled. He doubted it was genuine but he couldn't quite tell. "You still kicked butt in the end, right?"

"Not on my own."

"You didn't need to, dummy! That's what friends are for!"

" _Oh great. She is going to turn it into "muh power of friendship is autoritah!" shit._ "

"I am telling you the truth!" She pouted as her eyes locked with his. Was she a psychic?

"Ruby, take this seriously."

"But I am serious! If you don't have friends there to help you, you will always loose in the end!"

"Alright, alright." he really wanted to stop the conversation, "Did you get everything?"

"Hm-hm."

"If, for some reason, you happen to see any spooky, scary stuff, please tell me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't do this on your own. You need me for that, got it."

"Heh." She folded her arms. "That's sarcastic, coming from you."

"The word you are looking for is ironic. Now let's hurry to get some food. I'm really starving. Then I can finally get some sleep."

Someone's stomach voiced its opinion. It wasn't his.

* * *

The most recent deaths allowed Dahl to easily infiltrate into the school grounds. Every now and then, one could see a Dahl or Atlesian soldier patrolling the hallway. The former were dangerous so they had to be avoided, much to Ruby's confusion. The latter were harmless.

If anything changed in the school while he was gone, it was the lunch break. Now each student had to stand in line, waiting as much as it was necessary, or loose the only opportunity to have some food for hours. Ruby stood behind Braylon, who was bored out of his mind. When he thought about which food should he pick, he heard a familiar robot voice.

"My food sucks?! Well, have this ****ing chicken in a can, you bastard!" A can hit a second-year student right in the head, who fell down along with his plate full of food. "Next. Next! Come on!"

" _Claptrap?_ "

"Oh, I totally forgot." Ruby said. "We have a new chef."

"Really? Since when?"

"Four days ago."

He cringed.

"Well, his food is tasty..."

"That's because you eat only cookies, I bet."

"That's not true!"

He deadpanned and looked forward. Next on the list was a girl from fourth year. Her light blue hair reached her shoulders. She wore a tank top and brown pants. Claptrap was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn.", the robot began, "Imagine having all that fat in those two mountains stored in your body instead. I bet you would reach that stage in the evolution of fat where your neck disappears and your head merges with the body. Holy ****. I'm really glad I know better. You free later?" Everybody heard a smack. "I guess that's a no. Ouch." After two more students, it was Braylon's turn. Imagine his surprise when he noticed that the Claptrap wasn't the one he knew.

"The **** are you looking at?"

"New… paint job?"

Truly, this Claptrap was entirely white and had a red streak rather than the cyan and white combination.

"You ****ing wot mate?"

"N-nothing. Forget it."

"Then what do you want for today? How about some chicken that is not from a ****ing can? Watch out, though. If you poke it hard enough, you can see piss-yellow dust coming out of its ass. Pretty cool if you ask me."

"Beetroot soup and some steak with fries."

"Here you go. Next!"

Braylon sat to the first free table. Ruby sat on the opposite side, even if her team already had a table all for them. They looked up, silently stared at each other, then dug into the food. He had no reason to start a conversation. He just wanted to be done with it and go to bed. Yet, the Claptrap thing annoyed him enough to ask the question.

"Hey. That robot. Where did it come from?"

"It's just something that came out recently. You can buy one, if you want."

"Really?"

"Yes. Check it out." She pulled out her Scroll, tapped on it, then gave it to him.

* * *

(Arden & Ohman – The Blue Room (piano instrumental))

A Claptrap appeared on a black and white screen, rolling from the left, into an office. The body was painted to resemble a business suit, matching the hat that covered its antenna. It turned to the screen.

"Hi! How are you feeling today? I bet you are really tired from all that hard work, huh?" It jumped on a chair near a table. "I know, I know. Life can really be a pain sometimes, even if work makes us free. Without work, we couldn't get that bread to feed our children. Our economy would collapse. To work is to fulfill your role in society. But for how long?" It began writing on a piece of paper with a pen. "Just imagine what you're missing right now. A nice vacation with your lover, quality time with your family or that concert you waited for ages to come. Can you endure that for your entire life? Be honest. See? You can't." It turned to the screen again. "But we don't judge you for it. Instead, we offer you help."

The words "WHAT KIND OF HELP?" appeared on the screen.

"Glad you asked. See, we from Freedom Robotics think that we Claptraps (cool name, huh?) should do all that hard work for you. Unlike you fl… Humans and Faunus, we do not age and we do not feel tired. We can work 24/7, while you can sit on a comfy sofa and read a good book! Don't believe me? Then see for yourself!"

The scene changed to a Claptrap holding a skull on a set. It wore a strange hat and fake moustaches.

"This new recruit is the little helper of our famous actor Quarz Brownfield! When Mr. Quarz feels tired, the Claptrap comes to the rescue!"

Another cut. This time, the Claptrap with a tin badge held a gun against a man who tried to hug the wall, wearing some kind of prisoner's jumpsuit. There was something really odd about the man, as he looked at something off-camera with apparent fear. The audio was removed.

"This Claptrap is your friendly neighborhood police officer! He can catch bad guys before you even notice the crime! Attention, baddies! There is a new sheriff in town!"

A third cut. Two Claptraps with construction hats held controllers which were used to move around some kind of toy bulldozers and trucks on a tiny excavation site. The audio wasn't removed, so everyone could hear what the robots said, before the scene changed suspiciously quickly.

"The grave's gonna be deep when my awesome toys are done with you, whore!"

"Yes! That's the last time you deny us sex-"

The original Claptrap continued as if nothing happened.

"So what are you waiting for?! Get your robot worker today! And if you call the number below right now, we will send you another Claptrap for free! Freedom Robotics! The future is robotic!"

* * *

"Wow. Stupid and low budget." Braylon chuckled to himself, before his eyes turned to Ruby, who stared eyes-wide at her food. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"!ho hU"

A chill ran up his spine when he heard a down-pitched noise behind his back. Only now did he see a couple of students acting the same way as Ruby. A look to the floor revealed a very tall, very thin shadow.

"Don't turn around." She whispered. "It becomes angry if you look at it."

"?pu s'tahW"

Two steps. Barely audible. He had to wonder how did a simple commercial leave such an impression on him that he forgot about something creeping up to his back. Something was picked up. A table. Two students gasped but one of them said "Keep your eyes down!" while someone whispered something about water. Before anything could be done, Braylon heard a strange, almost cartoonish noise. The long shadow was gone.

"What the hell..." He muttered to himself. "Ruby, what just happened?"

"They appeared just a few days ago.", one student he didn't bother to remember answered, "Now they are everywhere."

"Come on, I don't want to play the pronoun game. Who's "they"?"

"That wasn't the only one."

"You mean there's more of them?"

"Yes. There might be an entire race.", a particularly-nerdy second-year replied, who happened to hear the conversation with his animal ears, "They are tall and as dark as night, with purple eyes. Anyone who looks them even for a second becomes a target. Other than that, they are quite passive in behavior."

"Nerd!" Someone shouted, followed by laughter. It was Cardin with his pals. One of them was missing.

"Let's just hope it doesn't become a damn routine.", Braylon turned to Ruby, "I'm going to bed. This story made me loose my appetite."

Braylon went out of the cafeteria without muttering a single word to anyone. Lost in his thoughts, he walked casually through the hallways of Beacon, sighing internally whenever a group of students started whispering the moment he passed by. He failed to spot JNPR, though he didn't really bother. There was nothing more that needed to be said between them. His work was done, his payment would come eventually, and there was nothing he could do to change it all as it was before. There was a future he had to worry about. Now that the search for Maidens became meaningless, all he could do was to search for a solution to the problem he caused. But that would come later, after a nap and a bunch of hours wasted at the Forge.

Unsuspecting, our Vault Hunter was about to turn around the corner when he bumped into someone. He, a metaphorical wall of steel, stood motionless. It was the other side that gasped and fell on their butt.

"Hey! Watch where… you..."

Who was the "other side", exactly? It was a girl with red eyes and mint-green short hair. She wore a uniform that wasn't Beacon's, which made him immediately suspicious. The incredulous look she gave when she saw him spoke a lot about the weight of her conscience, more than she would be willing to admit. It was the kind of look he saw a lot back in his reality, whenever an asshole or two tried to kill him, thought they succeeded and then panic as they saw him come as an angel of death that spelled their doom. Now, who was she and why he needed to die this time?

"You alright?" He said stoically. No need to express hostility. Yet.

"Y-yeah." She averted her eyes and stood back up.

"Are you someone new? That uniform isn't ours." A slight hint. Maybe she picked it up.

"Oh? Yes. Yes, I am. Me and my team came for the festival."

" _Bitch, I see right through you._ Festival?"

"Oh, you know. The Vytal Festival? Though what is happening lately… well..."

"Hey Emerald, Cinder wants to see you and… oh..."

Braylon and "Emerald" turned left. A man with gray hair and eyes came out from a room, also wearing a different uniform. He shared the same look as his female companion.

" _Bingo._ "

"Ha-ha, well it was nice meeting you…?"

"You want my name?"

That question confused her slightly. He smiled.

"I think you already know."

That statement was enough to drive their minds into fight or flight mode. It was obvious when the gray-eyes made a stance like he was ready to start a fight. Then, just to mess with their minds, he immediately added:

"My name is all over the newspapers lately. I find it hard to believe you never heard of me."

They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. He wordlessly waved at "Emerald" and with a smile that, while kind, said "if you plot something, you better stop now before you piss me off", left the duo. While humming to himself, he heard the sound of stilettos clacking against the floor, as if they were made of glass.

* * *

"People really don't want to leave me alone today, do they?"

Braylon's PDA beeped the moment he set foot in his room. He received a message from none other than the headmaster himself, saying that he would like to have a friendly conversation about the whole island story. So he went out of the room and straight for the elevator that would bring him to the office of the most powerful man in Beacon. Never had he imagined that said man's office was something that came out of a steampunk novel, with heavy accent on gears. Those things were everywhere on the ceiling. But aside from that oddity, the entire room lacked any decorations except a few ferns here and there, a table and a chair.

There he was. Headmaster Ozpin. His appearance didn't change the slightest ever since the little speech he gave at the start of the year. Nor did that of the other person near him, professor Goodwitch. Always with that stern look. Always with the riding crop in her hand. But that was fine. He was getting used to weird and, slightly questionable, fashion choice of the natives. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the eyesore of a man completely dressed in white. A figure he never saw before, except in the pictures.

A figure that wasn't quite pleased to meet him.

"So, is this the student you spoke about?"

"Yes, general."

" _Shit._ "

Braylon silently walked up to the table.

"Mister Braylon, this is James Ironwood, professor at the Atlas Academy and the general of the Atlesian military." The man nodded. "He wanted me to call you to my office for an… interrogation. Now I know that the entire thing is still far too fresh for any kind of conversation…"

"But I… we...", the general interrupted, "hope you understand the level of threat we might be facing here. We already spoke with team JNPR..."

" _Double shit._ "

"...details are quite remarkable. Nobody on Remnant ever encountered such… I don't even know what to call them." A holographic screen appeared, displaying several photos of Aetherial monstrosities laying on dirt. "However...", he lifted a finger, "However… I'm getting the feeling that something is missing in this story. You know, two members of team JNPR didn't quite tell us everything, or am I wrong?"

" _Triple shit._ "

Was there something he didn't know? Or was the dear old general trying to use some cheap psychology tricks on him? If he asked what exactly did they tell, he would be suspicious. What the media sites told was only a fraction of what actually happened, which made him thought that only the survivors told their side of the story, but JNPR and he had the misfortune of ending on the cover pages, because they were Huntsmen-in-training from Beacon. Nevertheless, it did make a great impact, as evidenced by the drastic changes in his working environment. If he knew what they told to the three stooges, his story would be believable. Since there was no way for him to know, he had to shoot in the dark.

"Honestly? I have no idea what those things were or how dangerous they could be. What I do know is that we, as Huntsmen, are supposed to protect the weak, you know? I mean, they were horrible… and smelled badly… still...", he made a faux shudder, "I just wish to never experience something like that again."

He looked at Ozpin, who nodded, then returned his eyes to Ironwood, who clearly had enough IQ points to doubt. This was proven when a photo of the warehouse filled with corpses was displayed on the screen.

"Misses Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie told us about this… tragedy. They also told us how you behaved back then. In detail. Do you have anything to add?"

Braylon quickly glanced at Ozpin and Glynda, who wore the same faces through the whole conversation. And while he had no idea what the headmaster thought, he could see that some kind of anger bred in the professor's eyes, though she forced herself to remain silent.

"I… someone has to act mature in such circumstances, otherwise we would never achieve anything."

"I think that "acting mature" is a bit of an understatement, don't you think?" The general said. "In fact, such a level of maturity is rarely present in someone your age."

"Are you implying something, general?"

"You think so?"

"I've got nothing to hide. If they already told you everything, then why bothering me? I did my part the best I could and I am sorry for all those people who lost their lives. There really is nothing to tell. We came in, cleared the threat and got out."

"Then why were you missing for a whole week?"

Braylon, acting angry, stood up. He made it look like Ironwood touched a really sensitive, and painful, subject.

"I won't tolerate this, headmaster! We could have lost our lives back there and this is how we, I, get paid?! I really don't want to continue this conversation anymore, headmaster! Can I leave?"

Ozpin sighed tiredly: "Yes, you can. I apologize."

He nodded and went for the elevator. When the student was gone, general Ironwood turned to his friend and ally.

"You don't really believe that was genuine, right?"

"Of course I do not. But… I don't know. You saw the state of team JNPR. Something definitely happened on that island. But what?"

"We could always force it out of him."

"James!"

"No, general. He is a teenager. It's entirely normal to act rebellious in such age."

"A teenager that survived something that wasn't a Grimm invasion."

"If he won't talk, we always have JNPR. Although I doubt they will be able to do anything for now."

The trio silently watched the outside world through the window. While each of them had different thoughts and opinions on the subject, they all silently agreed that the upcoming times will change Remnant forever. Those times inched closer with each second, and the ticking of gears above them did nothing to ease their worries.

* * *

(Grim Dawn – Lonely Moon)

" _What? Where am I? And what is this light?"_

 _"Have no fear. It is your guardian."_

 _"You?"_

 _"Yes. What you see is my true form."_

 _"It sure is bright."_

 _"As any creature of light is."_

 _"And what is this place? It's far different from the usual "dreams" I usually have."_

 _"Darkness always fears the light. As long as I am with you, your mind will rest in peace, free of demonic torture and traumas."_

 _"Hm… now that you mention it, I do feel peaceful. How much has passed since I last felt this way."_

 _"Your mind and body need rest. Your spirit, however, needs improvement."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"The nature of your enemy is far different than any mortal is used to. As such, you need to be spiritually strong to resist on this battlefield. From now on, while you sleep, you will spend time in your dreams learning and improving yourself."_

 _"But I..."_

 _"Mortal technology can only bring you so far. You cannot always rely on it to save yourself from danger. Some things need to be learned on your own. After you wake up, you will remember each dream and you won't feel tired."_

 _"Sounds good to me. My body is probably gonna sleep for hours, since I didn't have sleep for a while."_

 _"We will begin your training with an explanation of the whole creation and how the Vault you opened affects it. Human who goes by the name of Braylon, are you ready?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Then let us begin."_

 _"Hm-hm."_

 _"As you already know, the entire creation consists of multiple realities. A reality, also called a universe, is space and time combined to form an existence with its unique set of physical laws and life. Each reality has an Overworld, also called the Foundation of Reality. Aside from the Overworld, a reality can have Dimensions, alternate planes of existence that may or may not share similarities with the Overworld. The planet Remnant is located in the Overworld of this reality, while your home planet in the Overworld of your home reality."_

 _"For the sake of explanation, we will imagine realities as pieces of paper stacked up in one pile, with interspace between each, called the Void Between Worlds. The purpose of this Void is to act like a wall between realities, preventing any kind of contact between them. Out of this countless number of papers, two of them aren't part of the pile, but are independent. To your kind, they are commonly known as Heaven and Hell, although they are known to other species with different names."_

 _"For mortals, traveling through different realities is both difficult and limited. Difficult because it needs to follow a specific set of rules and requirements that need to be fulfilled and because it is unlikely that an individual from one reality can adapt properly to the conditions of the other. As for why it is limited, it is because a mortal can only jump to the first "highest" and first "lowest" without encountering major problems, such as physical illnesses when experiencing a reality far different from your own. Mortals cannot physically travel to Heaven or Hell but their souls can after their bodies die."_

 _"Now that you know this, you will be able to understand how that Vault you opened affects creation. The race that built the Vault, the Eridians, called it "the Door". A fitting name for its purpose, as it was the first device ever built by mortals that allowed access to more than two realities simultaneously."_

 _"One door that leads to many houses."_

 _"Correct. The Door formed an intricate web of tunnels that connected a hundred and sixty-five realities."_

 _"Odd number. Did something happen?"_

 _"There is a reason why mortals are discouraged from this intention."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Do you remember what happened in your reality?"_

 _"I damaged the Lighthouse while the Vault was open."  
_

" _Correct. By doing so, the Vault became unstable and it now connects all realities and their Dimensions together through rifts, portals that can allow passage to other realities, should they appear. These realities are also connected with Hell. I hope you understand what this means."_

 _"Anything can pass through?"_

 _"If the rift is large enough, yes."_

 _"But… I don't remember falling through a rift into Hell."_

 _"When the tragedy happened, few demons came out of the Vault and brought you back to their prison, where they tortured you. There was no need for a rift."_

 _"But you said mortals cannot physically travel to Hell."_

 _"The Door's malfunction tied all realities to each other and to Hell. These bonds become more unstable as time passes, potentially increasing the devastating powers of each rift that appears anywhere. It wouldn't be a surprise if different fabrics of reality start to tangle together."_

 _"Why did it feel so… so..."_

 _"Your soul was exposed to eons of contained evil and negative emotions turned energy, as well as the fire that keeps it at bay, something your soul knew very well. Meanwhile, your body experienced something it could never hope to understand, something alien, sending it into a state of confusion and illness that a mortal could never experience during a lifetime in their realities, no matter how harsh or benevolent it is. It is not a place for the living to explore or colonize."_

 _"Is… is there a way to stop it all? To stop this madness?"_

 _"You can stop the rifts from appearing on Remnant, but not without consequences. In this reality, there is a version of the Door, located on this planet. To stop the rifts, you have to destroy it. The Vault's destruction will isolate this reality from others, preventing any future rifts from appearing. However, it will also mean that no mortal in this reality will ever be able to reach other realities. Same applies for the outsiders."_

 _"Is it good or bad?"_

 _"Your choices are entirely up to you. But you must always remember that, no matter what you choose, the final outcome of the creation will remain the same, for it entered into the Fourth Age, the Age of Apocalypse, where the truth will be revealed to all and where the enemy will be locked away for all eternity, along with those who follow its perverse teachings and evil intentions."_

 _"Anything else I need to know?"_

 _"Why, yes. There is."_

 _"Let's hear it."_

 _"Your newest opponent, Tammuz, is not like the others in your earliest encounters. Few among the fallen are as venomous and as cunning as he is. However, due to the weight of the sin he perpetrated, he received such a powerful curse that it prevents him from materializing physically on this plane of existence. Should you encounter any mortal cultists or demons, you can be sure they follow Tammuz's orders. I will watch over you, but be always on your guard."_

 _"Wow. You sure don't handle things with silk gloves."_

 _"This is a battle you cannot win alone. Yet your nature, wounded by the enemy, will try to convince you otherwise, thus leading you to the path of damnation, just like it led many mortals throughout the ages. Do not refuse help when you get it, be it from other mortals or from those like me. That is the only way for you to stay safe. This concludes the first part of your training."_

 _"What's the second part?"_

 _"Combat."_

* * *

 ******* **Happy Easter to those who celebrate. I couldn't post this chapter sooner because I had to actually plan out the following chapters, which is a nice change for once. As you may know, an author named Adam Rook began writing a story similar to "A Chance to Live". I am not promoting anyone or anything, but I think it would be nice if you could give the guy an A for effort. Any kind of encouragement is great for a writer.**

 **By the way, I think I should have a chapter where I included some deleted scenes and such for the mentioned story "A Chance to Live". If I find it, I will post it in that story.**

 **So, after this chapter, what is next for the story? I am glad you asked. After the next chapter, I will start the second-to-last arc of**

 **Volume 2. Save any excitement for the last arc of this Volume, because it will be the longest fucking arc I will write until now. I am not joking. According to my plans, the arc should have 12 chapters! Everything will be explained once we get to that point. For now, let's focus on the present. Hope you are as excited as I am. BYE BYE!** _  
_

 **PS. Saw recently the new gimmicks each gun manufacturer will have in Borderlands 3. I can already see that Jakobs and Atlas will be the most abused ones out of the entire bunch.**


	36. Legacy

(Alphaxone – Into the Void)

Cardin Winchester was never the same after his encounter with the mysterious being that fell from the sky and into the forest of Forever Fall. He still remembered the entire thing, all the details, stuck in his mind like a scene from a really good movie. But unlike a movie, that was reality. Everything that happened, it happened for real. He was at the core of it all.

* * *

 _"...when do we start?"_

 ** _"_** _ **Right now. Come closer.**_ _"_

 _Cardin inched his left hand close to the small red pool. It_ _visibly_ _vibrated,_ _forming tiny waves at the surface. He was confused for a moment. It resembled a liquid, but no liquid he knew could form a tiny stream that bent slightly above his hand like that._

 ** _"_** _ **I need a wound.**_ _"_

 _He quickly looked at his surroundings,_ _trying to_ _find something sharp enough to cut his palm. He settled for a piece of space rock. When he put the wounded palm close to the stream, the red liquid immediately dived into the wound, making itself indistinguishable from his blood. In a blink of an eye, the red pool was gone and he felt like his_ _hand_ _was set on fire._

 _Then came the spasms._

 ** _"_** _ **We are one now. I inhabit every part of your body. Your bloodstream, your nervous system, your lungs, your eyes, your mind. I am everywhere inside you. When you move an arm, you move me as well. When I walk, you walk too.**_ ** _"_**

 _Cardin felt drained, like he didn't sleep for days._

 ** _"_** _ **I am now going to share my genetic memories with you. Those will be the key to defeating our enemy.**_ ** _"_**

* * *

And that was how Cardin suddenly knew everything about Braylon's life, up to the point he and the being parted ways. Also, he knew the being's true nature, as he knew what the Vault Hunter was capable off. In a way, he gained a certain amount of respect for the bastard. He didn't know a person could kill that many people in such creative ways.

But what was even more fascinating was the being's biology. Now, Cardin wasn't a nerd. By no means. The way he understood its existence was, though, something amazing.

"It" was a colony of countless genetically modified organisms that could, at best, be described as a chimera born from a bond between a virus and a bacteria. "It" was something alien in the true sense of the word, not belonging to any ecosystem known to mankind, but rather being a product of the most brilliant mind Braylon's reality ever produced, which also happened to be his greatest enemy, something like heroes in comic books having that one nemesis.

The story starts when a certain "Anshin Corporation" conducted a top secret project known as "Blank Slate" where the goal was to create a microscopic organism that, in itself, had no true purpose for existing, hence the name. It was, by definition, pointless. It did not eat, it did not move. That, however, was entirely intentional, because the organism had a special ability. An ability that allowed it to be "reprogrammed". Just like a blank sheet of paper, which could be used in many ways, so could the organism perform specific functions. A colony of that organism could become an incurable disease that could wipe out everything alive on a planet while another could be used to effectively transport electricity in many devices.

One such colony was taken by that brilliant mind, who created something called "Advanced Genome Modifying Organism" or A.G.M.O. for short, the first form "it" ever had. A.G.M.O. acted like a virus, capable of spreading all over a planet and mutate everything alive within weeks. Some time later, that person managed to create the second form, the current state, called Autonomous Genome Modifying Organism, AGMO for short.

AGMO was first tested on Braylon, with whom "it" formed the very first bond. During that short time, AGMO was able to "learn" everything Braylon knew, from combat to speech, as they both shared the mind and body. Together they slaughtered many people, before his friends broke their bond by blasting them with a highly radioactive energy beam which separated them on a molecular level. A small colony of AGMO managed to survive and escape, first on a space ship and then on one of many rocks that flew in space, where it remained until it crashed to Remnant.

Cardin chuckled to himself. He remembered how awesome he felt ever since AGMO formed a bond with him. That was, until the hunger came. Cardin immediately dropped his smile. He had no clue how to exactly call it, so he named it "hunger". The first time it happened, he felt like he didn't eat for a whole week. It was then that AGMO told him it required things that the food he ate couldn't replenish. Those things could be found in other humans or other beings, like Faunus for example. Yes, he really would miss that rabbit-eared freak and all the ear-pulling. Now he had to find a new toy.

Right after killing Braylon, that is.

If there was one thing he really hated, it was the scum that humiliated him and his stupid team in front of other lowlifes in the academy. Even better, that asshole Sky really had to piss him off one day, had to rub it in. Now his team was one-man-less strong. Well, it did not matter anymore. AGMO was back to its full strength now. Nothing could stop them.

Fucking Monocriffe.

He would crush him like twig.

* * *

Right when things couldn't get worse, the Vault Hunter received a message from none other than Cardin Winchester, the jackass of Beacon. The way he wrote wasn't one of the typical dumb bully speak. It was an ultimatum, and one he really wished he got with a warning in anticipation. Basically, Cardin told Braylon to meet him on the roof of the dormitories, where he would have a chat with an old "buddy" from home. Should he refuse to come, he would slit little Ruby's throat.

In any other situation, Braylon would laugh out loud, seeing that the dumbass tried to threaten him by claiming to harm someone who was probably more of a skilled Huntsman (Huntress, in this case) than he would ever be. But when he read the phrase "old buddy from home", all humor was cast aside. Who was this "old buddy from home", exactly? Fearing the worst, he decided to take the challenge and run to the roof of the Beacon dormitories.

Boy, what a sight waited for him there. It was Cardin, with one hand wrapped around Ruby's so tightly that he could snap her in two if he wanted to. The other hand, though. It was a dark red limb with long, thin fingers that ended in sharp red claws that were inches away from the shocked girl.

He knew what that was.

* * *

Look at that face. That pretty boy, I-just-had-the-best-sleep-of-my-life fucking face. He wanted to rip it off with his bare hands. Cardin's rage jumped from zero to sixty the moment he saw him. He expected to see a look of pure terror, or maybe rage, or maybe all twisted from hatred because he dared to use a meat shield. But no. What he got was something completely different, something unexpected. It was the face of a man (yes, not a boy, but a man) who had enough confidence to sell it to those that didn't. He was calm, cool and collected, an exact opposite of what Cardin hoped to find. Just who did that bastard think he was? He was holding his friend hostage, for fuck's sake!

"Let her go Cardin. Don't make me repeat myself."

Cardin felt his left eye twitch.

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve to order me around when I have your precious little bunny in my grasp. You know I can slit her throat in one swift motion, yes?"

"If you do that, it would be better for you to tie a stone around your neck and throw yourself into the nearest river."

"Woah, we got ourselves a badass here, don't you think so?"

"Braylon!" Ruby cried out. He could feel her heartbeats. She really didn't like his newest improvements.

"What do you want, Cardin?"

"Don't you mean "what do **we** want"?"

"Right."

"Heh. We wish nothing more than a simple **fight to the death**."

Wow. AGMO spoke through his vocal cords. That had to impress Braylon. They didn't do that in such a cool way when they were together. He was probably going to ask why, to which they would reply-

"A week."

"What?"

"Let Ruby go and give me a week to prepare myself."

"And why should we do that when we could kill you right now?"

"One week is all I need to prepare myself. After that, I will kick your ass with ease."

Was he bluffing? That had to be a bluff, right? That stupid motherfucker! AGMO couldn't find a better host for itself! They were much stronger together than him! Braylon could prepare an entire year for all he cared! He would never defeat them! AGMO reassured him that nothing on Remnant could help him win!

"Oh ho! I would like to see that! Alright, you get one week. But Ruby comes with me."

Braylon's fists tightened. That was always a good sign. Cardin turned around and, before he jumped from the roof, added one last thing:

"Your days are numbered, fool! See you in a week!"

* * *

" _Alright. Let's recap the whole story._ "

The Vault Hunter went to his room, took a piece of paper and a pen, then sat down. He had to deal with a threat from his past, where he was an active Vault Hunter. That meant Braylon had to go through memory files, which in turn meant that he had to relive all those unpleasant experiences. It would be absolutely worth it, for an innocent life was at stake and he wasn't in the mood to go through all that depressing stuff should he fail. Plus there was her team to make his life an even worse Hell than it already was. He had to be prepared for much bigger threats than that.

"Computer, download memory files from… two years ago."

 **Accessing memory files. Please wait. Memory files found. Downloading.**

"Oh… oh God. Here we go."

He hated going through his memories like that. While they were old, they always felt fresh when downloaded into his mind. It would always be somewhat confusing for the brain to try and assimilate that much memories at once. Nothing he couldn't handle.

"Let's see… Star Child, space pirates, Plutonia Station, a… a…. AGMO! Found it!"

He wrote down "AGMO" in a circle. He then wrote "Blank Slate", "Hellingen", "bond" and connected them to the circle with a line. The next hour was spent replaying over and over again his entire experience with AGMO, writing down every detail he found important.

"Hm… _I remember I got blasted with this beam which separated us..._ "

Of course, his mind had to remind him about the months that followed after that incident, which he spent in a hospital bed because he received almost-fatal burns all over the body. If it weren't for the best doctors money could buy and for the massive amount of medicine and painkillers he took on a daily basis, he would have been either dead or very dead. Not really something worth remembering.

" _Wait a minute._ "

The Biopedia was a virtual library inside the PDA where information about each life form and artifact, known or newly-discovered, was described in detail and stored should the user need it. Whenever something new would be discovered about a life form, be it technological advancements and other important things, the PDA would automatically update the Biopedia with fresh information. Due to the nature of Braylon's job as a Vault Hunter, and due to humanity's vast knowledge, the Biopedia contained information about bacteria, flora and fauna, alien technology, many living and extinct xenos races, the recent supernatural additions and, of course, genetic experiments, such as AGMO. Because AGMO was easily one of the most dangerous things Braylon and his companions ever faced, it would only be logical to have as much information on the little lab-grown wonder as possible. It took patience to search through all the files, but he found what he needed.

He tapped the screen. It displayed an image of an individual AGMO microbe along with a wall of text next to it.

 **Loading file.**

 **Object #377-14: Autonomous Genome Modifying Organism.**

 **Category: Genetic Experiment (object not found in any known flora or fauna).**

 **Type: Microscopic Organism (see project Blank Slate for further information).**

 **Status: Alive (updated)**

 **Weakness(es): high temperatures, acidic substances  
**

 **[Load genetic map? Yes No]**

The weakness to acidic substances was easily exploitable, as Braylon had the perfect tool for it: the grenade mod he recently acquired. After doing a short study on its capabilities, he found out that it was capable of transforming explosive grenades into corrosive ones. All its user had to do was to throw a grenade and let it explode, after which it would spawn three homing grenades, also corrosive. The grenade mod had a fitting name; Pandemic.

But would that be enough?

Braylon started thinking about possible strategies. What he needed was a way to neutralize the organism without it, or the host, being aware. Once he saw the genetic map, which displayed the entire genetic code, an idea began to form into his mind. He saw a possible outcome, a situation where everything would go as smoothly as he wanted, if the criteria were met. All of them. No exceptions. Should it be a success, he would get rid of AGMO for good. But should it fail… he hoped it wouldn't.

"Computer. Open the BioLab. We have work to do."

* * *

One week came and went rather quickly. The two sides met again on the same spot at the same time. They both knew only one of them would come out alive, with a victory under their belt. There was no more room for any kind of games.

"Where is Ruby?" Braylon asked with the same tone and expression as he wore one week ago.

"Right here." Cardin lifted the little Huntress-in-training by her cape. She wasn't moving. "Relax, I know what you're thinking. She is perfectly fine, if a little… bruised. Hehehe."

"Cardin..."

"It's your fault, really. Instead of waiting, you should have fought me one week ago and none of this would have happened, dumbass. Besides,", he threw her on the ground to his right, "I couldn't let her wander around after she saw my little secret. Bad things could have happened to her, if you catch my drift."

Little Ruby moaned softly as she opened her eyes. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Braylon with teary eyes.

"Braylon… help me..."

"Cardin, I swear to God, once I'm done with both of you, they will need a spoon to pick you up."

"Oooh, scary. By the way, why don't you say hello to you… **acquaintance?** "

Cardin's voice mutated, though he didn't show any external changes to his body. Braylon knew who spoke there.

"I thought I got rid of you from my life."

" **You can't do that to me. I am your son.** "

"No, you are not. Just because some nutcase used me as a living terrarium for you to grow doesn't make you my offspring."

" **I would be touched, if I didn't want revenge for what you did to me.** "

"What? Freed myself from you?"

" **We had an unbreakable bond, you and I. We could have achieved great things together.** "

"Spare me. You are just another bad thing from my past. After today, you will return to being a bad memory and nothing more."

" **Rrraaargh!** " Cardin grit his teeth, trying to imitate the facial expression of an animal when it's angry. They both quietly stared at each other before they heard footsteps.

"Huh?", Braylon was confused, "Somebody's coming?" Cardin, however, showed no signs of surprise.

One member of team CRDL, the blond one, appeared on the roof, exhausted and wide-eyed.

"You…?" Braylon had no time to finish his sentence when the newest character spoke up.

"Cardin? What's going on man?!"

"Moron! Can't you see for yourself?"

"Braylon? Ruby?"

"Look out!"

Braylon's warning came too late. Before the rather-confused Dove Bronzewing perceived any words that came from the Vault Hunter's mouth, a writhing red mass slithered out from the nearby shadows and enveloped him completely. The screams that came were muffled, no matter what Dove did.

"Let him go!"

"I don't think so."

The mass began shrinking in size.

"Motherfucker, what are you doing to him?!"

"You will see soon. Now come to me!"

Once the mass folded on itself, all screaming stopped. It jumped back to Cardin, wrapping itself all over his body. When that happened, Braylon and Ruby could see Cardin's frame changing shape like clay in the hands of a professional. A single bead of sweat fell from Braylon's cheek as the shape once again changed back to a humanoid form. Arms, legs and head were beginning to form, quite different from what they were. The whole body was painted in blood red, with each hand ending in five long fingers with sharp red claws, legs sprouted toeless feet and the head had a wide mouth with two rows of short and sharp teeth. The orange-colored eyes resembled a drawn, cartoonish fire. Cardin's entire body sported muscles and tiny red tendrils randomly scattered all over its surface. *

"Ah, Much better. You have to excuse me, I had to break down my ex-teammate and use him to recreate the perfect bond you two had. **It feels good.** "

" _He recreated the bond?!_ "

"We had to lay low until it restored its energies back. Had to go back in great shape, you know? So I thought we should go all out, since one of us is definitely going to die and we both know it. Pro tip: **it's not going to be me.** "

"Hmph. Fine... I wasn't planning on saving you anyways..." The last bits of hope to save the bully had now been erased. Once the bond completes, separating the host from AGMO was impossible because it required technology that Remnant did not have. At least, that was the theory. Everything would change soon.

"Before we start, I have to warn you two about something.", Braylon said, "See, I'm not the same kid you knew years ago, AGMO. I fought. I changed. This time, I won't need help from others. And this time...", he cracked his knuckles, "...this time I will make sure you are gone for good."

(Spider-Man 3 (PS2) – Main Fight Boss Theme)

" **Aaargh!** I will kill you!"

"You wish!" Braylon shouted as he materialized a Pandemic-modified grenade and threw it at Cardin, who in turn fired tiny red spikes from the right arm to destroy it. He never expected to see three homing grenades coming out from the green cloud and flying towards him. While Cardin tried desperately to swat them away, shrieking as acid formed holes in his AGMO-enhanced body, Braylon lunged forward and delivered a powerful punch to his face, which sent him flying.

"Not so fast!"

Cardin turned one of his arms into a whip that coiled itself around Braylon's throat, dragging them both down from the roof. Braylon wanted to punch Cardin again, but he kicked the Vault Hunter away, who crashed through a window into a room of an all-female team. Their screams did nothing to stop him from standing up and reaching the window. Before he could look down, two red feet kicked him in the head, throwing him to the other side of the room. Screaming intensified when the red monster appeared. If he had any wounds before, now they were gone.

"I know you better than you know yourself, Monocriffe! **Try something I don't expect!** "

Braylon seethed and jumped forward. Cardin grabbed the fist with his own hands and kicked Braylon's chest with enough force to throw him in the hallway through the door. The Shield was close to being depleted, so the Vault Hunter decided to take few more hits before responding with an uppercut that knocked out a bunch of Cardin's teeth, amplified by the Bumblebee's special effect.

"My turn."

Hitting the head, chest and stomach, our Vault Hunter dished out an unstoppable combo that threw Cardin off guard. With a speed that matched his physical strength, Braylon became a beast that unleashed its full combat potential. AGMO and Cardin took it all, whether they liked it or not.

" _Hit him! Hit him with everything you got! Like this!_ "

Other students, who heard the sounds of combat, rage and unwillingness to give up, peeked out from the doorways of their respective teams only to see a brutal fight between two larger-than-life individuals, both of whom emitted this strange aura of death, as if they tried to kill each other. Some were stupid enough to take pictures while the wise ones ran for their lives as the red monster was sent flying with a kick.

"Like looking in the mirror, ain't it? Only I'm bigger… **and better!** "

Cardin's hands morphed into spiked maces. He lifted them above his head, attempting to hit Braylon. The latter, thanks to his amplified speed, jumped backwards into safety. The maces struck the ground with the force of a wrecking ball, shattering it into pieces. They both fell one level below. Naturally, that drew more unhealthy attention. Some students began calling for help.

The Bumblebee's effect wore off and its battery recharged itself completely. The dust cloud that filled the hallway made it hard to see. There was no way to avoid a mace that sent him through a wall and into an empty room. Cardin tried to jump on top of Braylon, but he used his legs to throw them behind him, destroying another wall. When he stood up, he noticed several soldiers aiming their guns at him, some of them belonging to Dahl.

"Get down on the ground!" One of them yelled.

"What? No, I-"

"Shut up and get down! Now!"

The floor suddenly erupted as Cardin reappeared, catching Braylon by the throat and lifting him up, much to the horror of all present soldiers.

"What the fuck?! Shoot! Shoot!"

If the soldiers knew what they were dealing with, they would never waste their bullets like that, because any creature that is bonded with AGMO becomes immune to conventional weapons. None of them realized that the bullets simply flew through the body or were digested by the colony of tiny red organisms. Cardin's body shook with each hit as his grip loosened enough for Braylon to fall down and kick him away.

"Fools! You haven't **seen nothing yet!** "

"Likewise! Bring it!

"I said stand down!"

* * *

Team RWBY had a rather rough existence lately. The disappearance of Ruby Rose, the leader, caused a lot of problems during the week. The remaining three members thought she wandered off somewhere in Beacon, maybe lost herself somewhere and now they needed to find her. She was younger than them by two years, after all. For some, like Weiss Schnee, she could be that one brat that knew how to get under your skin, yet still irritate you just by looking at them. That didn't mean she wasn't worried, no matter how much people liked to label her as "ice queen".

Yang, Ruby's half sister, was the first to go ballistic when they failed to find her. She went around Beacon, interrogating (most of the times it began with a threat) everyone she knew, like team JNPR and that Braylon jerk. Nobody had pissed her off like the latter when she had "the talk" with him. Her threat about crushing his testicles like a tin can made him laugh of all things. She had to thank her teammates later for not strangling him right on the spot. He was unusually calm when she asked him all those questions, even the ones that might have painted him in a different light, making her instantly suspicious. And not just her, but Weiss and Blake too. But without evidence, they couldn't do a thing.

Blake sighed as she stopped another argument between Weiss and Yang. Unlike the two, Blake tried to think rationally. Sometimes they would accuse her of being cold, to which she would reply that she was also worried about Ruby, but being hysterical wouldn't change the fact that she was still missing. After they all calmed down, the trio took a walk together in silence, each contemplating about the fate of the little girl with the red cape. None dared even thinking about the possibility of her being injured in any way or, worse, ending up drained like all those poor victims.

"I swear, if I find the bastard responsible for this..."

Yang didn't end her threat. She let her clenched fist do it for her. Her eyes rarely turned to their natural color.

"Ruby is a capable Huntress. I doubt she could..."

Yang's hair turned to fire. "Nobody heard anything about her for a whole damn week, Blake!" She turned around, eyes red and brimming with tears. Yang Xiao Long was an emotional wreck. "She is somewhere out there and needs our help! And I can't help her!"

"Yang..."

"We were always together. Ever since we were little. I had to be her mother and her sister, you know? Our father… he couldn't be really there for us. We… I remember that one time when me and Ruby left the house and we got attacked by the Grimm. If it weren't for… My stubbornness should have gotten us killed then."

That was the point when they heard something crashing down. It was loud enough that caught the attention of everyone in vicinity. Seconds later, another sound was heard, even louder than before, as if a building was collapsing.

"What's happening?!" Weiss shrieked.

"It's coming from there!" Blake pointed at a building.

"Let's go!"

"Yang, wait!"

"Maybe it's Ruby!"

It was only after they reached the place that they heard the entire symphony of destruction that was going on. As many people fled from the building, with some professors running towards it, the sounds of battle became increasingly brutal. Yang, Weiss and Blake heard firearms, alien screams, something collapsing, an explosion.

"That's professor Oobleck!"

"We need to get the students out of her, quickly!"

Oobleck brought the students of Beacon to safety while Glynda used her powers to block any debris that could harm someone. Atlas and those other soldiers swarmed the place. No matter how much they tried, they failed to get any answers.

"We need to go inside." Yang concluded.

"Are you insane?!"

"Ruby may be in there, Weiss!"

Multiple explosions.

"Stop being so obsessed with her! You are only hurting yourself that way!"

"Weiss!"

"I'm not saying I won't go! But… what would Ruby think if we end up hurt while looking for her?"

That calmed Yang's anger a little bit. She took a deep breath while Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We will find her, Yang. That's a promise. But we also need to be careful."

Yang looked at Blake, who nodded silently. She frowned, nodded back and all of them went closer. Using the chaos as a cover, the golden-haired member of team RWBY used her strength to punch a hole for them to sneak inside while another nightmarish scream occurred.

The hallway was covered in dust and detritus that fell from the walls and ceiling. Some of the lights had gone out, leaving the place into utter darkness in some occasions. What grabbed their attention was the chaos that was being unleashed very close to them. Someone was fighting a very brutal battle and it didn't look like it would end soon.

They sneaked around the corner when something came crashing down from the ceiling twenty meters away from them. The cloud of dust forced the three girls to hide behind the corner, though it didn't stop them from peeking.

"What the…? I'm seeing someone." Yang whispered.

"Sssh! Look!"

(Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Golden Wind – Giorno's Theme)

Indeed, someone was there with them. When the dust settled, they saw a creature resembling a flayed human, but way more monstrous. There was also a person there. A person they never thought they would see in such circumstances.

"Braylon?!"

"What's he doing here?!"

"Quiet! Both of you!"

The creature said something as its right hand morphed into an axe.

"Time to die, "Eviscerator"."

Its voice shocked them. It belonged to Cardin Winchester! The bully who hated Faunus! Their sights set on Braylon, who was seriously injured. Never before had they seen such injuries, not even during their many fights with Grimm. His face was covered in blood as was one of his arms and chest. A hole on the wall behind Braylon, large enough for them to see the outside world, let the sunlight shine down on his body. It was sunset.

"I told you, Monocriffe. You cannot win against me. Look at you! All fucked up and shit, you are a sorry sight! And me? I'm good! As pristine as when I was born! Once I'm done with you, I'll drain you and dump your body into the dirt. It's over!"

"Then you will have to try harder than that."

"Huh?!"

The monster with Cardin's voice walked closer to the fallen Vault Hunter, stopping only when he stood up far more easily than someone with those wounds could. Even the girls watched, surprised at the sudden turn of events.

(Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Golden Wind – Giorno's Theme)

"I already told you. I'm not the same person I was years ago. If you want to bring me down, tough shit, because I am stronger than death!"

"Hrng! That attitude,", it raised the hand-axe, " **pisses me off!** "

No matter how the monster tried to attack, Braylon would always be one step ahead, always ready to counter, until it roundhouse-kicked him into the head, punched two times and buried its hand-axe into his shoulder, blood gushing from the wound. Braylon seethed in pain.

"Funny how I always knew I'm better than you. **Now I will prove it!** "

"Then do it! Come on!"

"Bah! If only little Red was here to see you die!"

Weiss and Blake had to restrain Yang when they realized it was talking about Ruby. Braylon, however, remained impassive as ever, even more so when it punched him through the wall and into the open field for everyone to see. They followed the unsuspecting monster outside, with Yang catching its attention.

"Where's Ruby you piece of shit?!"

"Ah, here comes the cavalry, I see.", it glanced in their direction, "I'll deal with you after I'm done with Monocriffe over there.", it turned back to Braylon, pointing with the hand-axe and laughing, "Come on, tough guy! At l **east make a fight out of it!** "

"Hmph. Not bad. I almost… felt that."

"Big talk coming from you-… huh?!"

Something was wrong. They all could see it, especially the red-skinned monster. Tiny blue dots sprouted on the hand-axe, spreading all over its surface until it turned entirely blue. It then solidified like mud and crumbled, revealing a human hand. It looked down and, behold, the body began developing blue dots too!

"What is this!? What's going on?! **What have you done to me?!** "

"I thought you have figured it out by now. You are better than me, aren't you?"

It looked up and saw the Vault Hunter on his feet, with the sun shining behind him. Even the girls watched the scene in utter surprise, shock or awe. He almost resembled a superhero. Almost.

"You poor, stupid fuck."

"No, no! You can't-!"

"But I can. And I did. I neutralized AGMO with a special serum that was coursing through my blood and sweat. Blood and sweat that you, Cardin Winchester, came in contact with without even suspecting a thing."

"S-stay away from me!"

Braylon cracked his knuckles as he walked forward and said: "Now, I believe I also told you that people would need a spoon to pick up your remains. Time for you to meet the one, and only, Braylon Monocriffe! This is for all those you've killed!"

"P-please! It… it was just a prank! **Please-aaaaaaaahhhh!** "

With inhumane savagery, and a battle cry that would scare even the fiercest of warriors, the Vault Hunter began venting all the fury he collected during the mockery of a fight in the form of fists that were as fast as bullets. Not only did each hit struck like a cannonball, tearing away pieces of skin that turned blue, it also heavily damaged the body of the human beneath the monster, Cardin Winchester. Truly, so powerful were the attacks, that they all could hear the sound of bones breaking, snapping like mere twigs. The rampage went one for solid two minutes, before ending with an uppercut that sent Cardin on the floor like a rug. Everything that remained of AGMO were the useless blue remains. The organism was effectively neutralized.

Another victory for the Vault Hunter.

The battle took so much focus and concentration, that only now could Braylon truly notice the members of team RWBY, who stood frozen like statues at the sight. Not for long, though, because one of them, Yang Xiao Long, walked up to him, grabbed him by his shirt and yelled into his face.

"Where's Ruby?!"

"Up… up there.", he pointed at the rooftops, feeling awkward because no one yet acknowledged what he did there by beating AGMO. Obviously he wouldn't have the privilege to savor the victory. When Weiss, Blake and Yang ran away, to find their leader, Braylon ordered the PDA to heal his wounds. He looked at the body of Cardin Winchester and what remained of AGMO. The beating he got was probably going to tie him to a bed for the rest of his life. As for the Frankenstein of genetics, the serum would make sure it would never be a threat again. Only now did he allow himself to mentally freak out at the whole situation.

" _I can't fucking believe this! How in the fuck did this happen?! Why did this happen?!_ _Why was he here?!_ "

He began seeing a pattern. First, there was Odatron, now it was AGMO. Both of them were creations of a man he hated more than anything else. Sure, correlation does not imply causation, but it was way too convenient for both of them to appear in the same reality. He had to scoff mentally, because he made sure that their creator was dead. Seriously dead, not "dead-but-ha-ha-I-will-be-back" dead.

" _Could he really be alive? Once again? Because if so, I swear to God..._ "

Hearing footsteps, Braylon decided it would be best for him to escape. But when he turned around, he found out it was too late to do anything. The soldiers and professors already spotted him, with the former pointing their guns at him. He could have kill them all and run away, though he concluded he really didn't need to dive deeper into the shit he had gotten himself into. The situation was more troublesome than he thought it would be. Two Dahl soldiers walked up to him, guns never leaving their target. If they recognized or knew him, they didn't show it, which made Braylon feel uncomfortable.

Ignoring the comments, the looks, the sounds of Scrolls taking pictures as other students gathered in groups to see him being handcuffed by Dahl soldiers, Braylon finally admitted defeat. It was pointless to resist the arrest. He would have enough time to explain everything during the interrogation, if they don't throw him behind bars and bury the key… or if Dahl decides to kill him and make it look like an accident. Well, he thought, at least he got rid of a problem. One down, thirty million to go.

Every now and then Braylon would raise his head to look at the surroundings only to notice a black bird staring at him, always from a high position. Although he was unsure whether or not it was the same bird, the fact that he always saw one, with black feathers and red eyes, made him think it really was just one bird, or something that tried to pretend to be one. Why it was there was something he had yet to understand, as was the presence of the two buffoons he did not like one bit, the mint-haired girl and her sidekick. Did both sides watch his fight with him unaware?

With the two mentioned troublemakers, the Vault Hunter also saw a woman with black hair and very beautiful eyes, the eyes of a snake, that told him she wasn't the person she pretended to be. Oh, she knew he saw her, which is why she made this very strange smile, as if she was happy that he would disappear from her sight, but also wanted to carve his heart out with her own bare hands right there and then. Her mere presence, her mannerisms, told him she was the one in charge and that the two were just dogs that obeyed her orders. Very loyal dogs at that. He definitely had to keep an eye on her in the future.

But first… the interrogation.

* * *

 **If this chapter felt weird to read, it is because I tried to test out some new writing styles, though I have no idea if it is visible or not. But yes, AGMO made a comeback in this story, though a shorter one than in the first version. I should mention this for the "older" readers and for the fans of the first story that we are reaching the point where the two stories are coming in contact as far as the plot is concerned. After the next short arc, which** **will act as a 2-3 chapter introduction to the big-ass arc, everything you read is actually adapted from the first story, more or less, including the giant arc I wrote about. Though here will make a bit more sense and will actually follow a story. But yes, everything that comes is directly taken from the "A Chance to Live", adapted to fit in this one.**

 **If you are wondering how Braylon got the grenade mod, it is the one he took in the arena fight with demons from few chapters earlier.**

 **And now, better prepare your ass, because, from the next chapter on, things are about to get ugly.**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 **Entry #110:** AGMO - Perfect Form

 **Type:** Genetic Experiment

 **Faction:** None

 **Description:** " _Once again, science_ _will_ _require_ _a_ _sacrifice of the insignificant._ _I can't remember who said that, but the words are stuck in my head to this very day._ _In the 20_ _th_ _century, there was a pact made for the greater good; that no sides would use weapons deemed too dangerous and destructive, no matter the circumstances, including_ _chemical weapons._ _Everyone respected that pact, even the Germans, who had_ _enough of those to kill the entire Europe several times over. Everyone knew what would happen if all sides suddenly unleashed those everywhere. After all, they had the first World War as a textbook example of that. Decades later, few more things were added to that list, like the misuse of radars and laser, who could fry and/or blind hundreds, if used correctly. But nothing, not even the nuclear weaponry, could compare to what came next: genetic engineering. The amount of damage that could do in wrong hands was, and still is, unthinkable. People made precautions for that shit, you know? Like, crazily-prepared does not even begin to describe it. And then, then one man comes, all of a sudden, centuries later, and fucks it all up._ _That's where AGMO comes from. Only few people in the entire galaxy understood what Dr. Hellingen did that day; he opened the Pandora's box._ "

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **\- Pandemic** (Legendary grenade mod)

 **Arsenal:**

 **1) HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw

 **2) Pistol:** Unforgiven

 **3) Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **4) Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear, Coffin Seller

 **5) Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **6) Rocket Launcher:** Nukem, Leviathan

 **7) Energy Weapon:** Excalibastard, Vulcan, Fornax

 **8) Remnant-only:** Vulcan

 **9) Grenade Mod:** Pandemic

 **1** **0) Shield:** Bumblebee


	37. The Journey of Fools

Braylon Monocriffe had seen this scene unfold a couple of times in his life, under different circumstances. Being a handcuffed person, led by two or more 'guards' to a destination the law deemed necessary to visit, was an annoying concept to him that only served to waste everyone's time and money. On Pandora, justice was dealt with one bullet to the head and that was it. Only in his current case, he was arrested because the military thought he had a hand in the chaos that happened at Beacon. Well, he did have a hand, just not the way they think he did.

Two Dahl Marines never left his sides as they walked in the hallway made entirely out of concrete, resembling a bunker than whatever the architect meant it to be. The teenager in the middle looked mostly at his feet, thinking about what to do next, though he eyed their equipment from time to time, specifically guns. One had a Hyperion SMG and the other a Dahl assault rifle, both average in quality. You would think the corporations would supply their armies with finer equipment, until someone would remind you that their life expectancy was never meant to be more than an hour or so long in an actual fight. They would use lethal force once in their life and that was it. The human resources managers probably hated themselves more than their jobs.

That would never be the case if you were some sort of high-ranking hotshot like the man that stood next to a thick iron door, along with James Ironwood. Unlike the usual fodder, the higher ranks and specialists would always get exceptional equipment. And the higher they were on that ladder, the better treatment they got. Whether or not they earned such a thing was another story entirely. Though in many cases it was simply a matter of knowing the right people at the right time. It went something like this: get inside the military thanks to a friend, get all the good shit, get creative with the paperwork, then get the fuck out and pretend you are a new boss.

The man wore a green armor likes the Marines, though bulkier but without the helmet, instead wearing a red scarf and a beret that covered his bald head. A sword was strapped to his belt, along with a Torgue pistol, easily recognizable by the design, though Braylon had no idea what kind of pistol it was. Next to him stood Ironwood with his hands behind his back. The difference between the two men, as in demeanor so in appearance, were staggering. Ironwood, though with a frown on his face, wasn't as wary of the boy as the taller man near him, who looked like he would put a gyro-jet bullet between Braylon's eyes if the latter looked at him funny. Probably because he knew who Braylon was and what was he capable of, unlike the poor son of a bitch on the left.

Ironwood said, "We meet again. Though in much different circumstances. And not the type that might be flattering, I'm afraid."

Braylon gave him a stern glare. Were they both on his home planet, the rules would have been much different. For now, he had to play the part. Screw ups on Remnant weren't tolerated.

"Take him in."

The other man nodded to the door. His voice was deeper than Ironwood's, if that was even possible. Braylon wondered if it was his actual voice or if it was just a scare tactic. The two Marines pushed him inside a small room, where he sat on a cold iron chair, in front of a table.

"Let the handcuffs on." said the man to the two Marines when they were about to remove them. He then looked the young boy in the eyes and made something that could hardly be called a smile, because his lips barely moved upwards. "For safety reasons."

" _Yup. This guy knows me. Wish I could do the same._ "

Ironwood raised an eyebrow, not understanding why such measures were needed. He stepped forward, coughed in his fist and started his talk, trusting the man's logic.

"I'm sure you remember me, so I will skip my introduction." Ironwood motioned at the man in green. "This is general Thaddeus E. Wilson. He leads the troops of the Dahl Corporation stationed throughout Vale." The two exchanged glances far more hostile than they had the right to be, which further confused the Atlesian. "...I guess you know him already?"

"No."

"I see." He turned around. "Well, if that's all, let us begin. The sooner we start, the sooner we will end this." Ironwood pulled out a screen that displayed a footage of Braylon's fight with AGMO-enhanced Cardin in the dormitories of Beacon. A footage recorded with a camera. While soundless, the fight still left an impression, as the two fought tooth a nail. The footage ended when Cardin punched Braylon through a wall.

"Anything you want to add?"

"..."

"The silent treatment doesn't work with me. It will only make things harder for you."

Thaddeus stood silently in the corner, eyes never leaving Braylon. He probably waited for his moment to speak up.

"General," Braylon began, voice calm and cold as ice, "this is something you don't want to stick your nose into."

"Is it now? I refuse to believe that something like this," he pointed at the screen, "shouldn't be my concern. The mess left behind certainly helps proving my point, wouldn't you agree?"

"..."

"Headmaster Ozpin has given me the custody over you for as long as I see fit. So you can make yourself comfortable. I can be sure that you'll have plenty of time to talk."

"...He did?"

That came out with way more surprise than it should have. The general would definitely interpret the slip up as a weapon to use against him. Ironwood nodded. Thaddeus continued to stare without doing anything.

"Not even Ozpin is willing to shield you from trouble, Mister Braylon. I'm going to give you a chance. Tell me, who's really behind this stunt you tried to pull off?"

" _Motherfucker, you can thank God I have nerves of steel. Otherwise I'd…_ Don't make me repeat myself-"

"Likewise. I guess we're even."

Braylon grit his teeth in frustration. He wasn't insane enough to spit out the truth, especially to a nobody from a military he never bothered to learn about. After Ironwood realized that the conversation was going nowhere, Thaddeus decided to step in.

"General," he said, "let me take care of this, please."

General Ironwood moved sideways as Thaddeus approached the table calmly. He then backhanded Braylon in the face, much to Ironwood's surprise, though he refused to act.

"Talk, you little shit!" Thaddeus roared as he punched Braylon. "Who do you work for?! What was that red monster that attacked the academy?! Spit it out!" A second punch was strong enough to throw Braylon off the chair. They took away all of his equipment before the interrogation, so he felt the pain of falling on concrete head first. Now Ironwood decided to act. There was a slight hint of concern in his voice, though it was hard to find.

"I think that's enough."

Thaddeus rubbed his fist. Braylon's skull was hard.

"Don't you worry, general Ironwood. If this little worm refuses to talk, then I have more efficient ways to do it."

"And those would be?"

"We'll bring him to our outpost at Mountain Glenn. Trust me, general, Dahl Corporation knows how to make even a chicken sing like a finch."

Ironwood wanted to say something, but was rudely stopped when Thaddeus ordered his men to bring Braylon to the nearest Bullhead. The Vault Hunter could hear Ironwood complaining loudly, though he knew from the start it was useless. He gave them a perfect opportunity by staying quiet and that man knew it. He smiled to himself.

Thaddeus was really good at acting.

* * *

"That idiot! How did she end up like this?"

Weiss paced back and forth, arms folded, her boots clacking on the white tiles that belonged to Beacon's tiny hospital for students, waiting as her teammate Blake, who sat on a chair with a book in her lap. All the will it took to read it had evaporated.

"The monster must have done something to her."

Weiss stopped walking and stared at Blake.

"You think Braylon did it?"

"Of course not, don't be stupid!" Weiss huffed. "No human being could ever do something so horrendous! I just want to know why he hadn't done a thing to help her."

Blake nodded, "He was kinda busy with whatever Cardin turned into. I doubt he was able to help Ruby."

Unlike them, Yang immediately stormed into the room where Ruby slept on a bed, despite the many criticisms from doctors and other staff. The rage she expressed when she saw Ruby in such a bad state was a thing to behold. It was also a hard hit for Blake and Weiss. And while Yang was sure that Braylon was the cause of Ruby's current state, the other two tried their best to calm the situation and focus on their leader, something far more important at the moment. Now they were there, at Beacon's hospital, waiting for the moment the doctors would say "yes, now you can enter". Weiss thought it was the time to bring up something that happened recently.

"I'm… sorry."

Blake looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry for what happened at..."

There was no need to finish the sentence. Blake knew what her teammate talked about. Just a few days ago, she and a boy named Sun were at the docks after they heard about a White Fang meeting that was supposed to happen there. For some reason she couldn't understand, the criminal Roman Torchwick was working with those she once considered members of a family, her brothers and sisters. It all went downhill when her friends appeared, then the military not too long after them. While the Atlas military tried to apprehend and incapacitate anyone they deemed a threat, those people wearing green armor shot to kill. And they were disturbingly efficient in doing so, even if she saw no corpse that would prove such observations. Blake couldn't see what happened afterwards because her friends and she had to flee to avoid even more trouble. With all the shooting, the screams and chaos, she could only take a guess.

It was also the day where she revealed herself to be a Faunus.

"It's my fault, really. I should have told you sooner."

The conversation died awkwardly after that. None knew what to add, for the fear of messing things up again. It was now a thing of the past. Hopefully.

A man in a white coat came out. Blake and Weiss stood in front of him.

"She seems to be fine, all in all.", he looked at a paper, "Minor bruises and cuts, nothing that her Aura won't heal. No internal bleeding, no bones fractured, nothing."

They sighed in unison. Such news were very welcome for their current mental state.

"I do suggest she remains in her bed for at least two days, to prevent further complications. As for the cuts, well...", the doctor looked at them, "That's the strangest part. We couldn't identify the source. It resembles a knife, though somewhat weird."

They reminded themselves of the red monster Braylon fought against, much to their confusion. It came out of the blue and attacked one person they all knew very little about. Sure, he was a face they recognized, but it was nothing like JNPR. A complete mystery that required an explanation the moment it involved Ruby. Nobody likes to be kept in the dark when one of their closest friends are hurt.

"The wounds seemed to be infected, so we gave her proper medication. That's all."

It could be worse, they thought. Ruby could have been dead and they wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop it.

"Is she awake?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, but please refrain from bombarding her with questions and stuff. She needs some rest."

"Thank you doctor."

He nodded and turned around to leave. However, he stopped, confused as to why were soldiers in green armor walking towards him. The girls he spoke to peeked from behind him.

"Do you need something?" were the last words he said before one of the soldiers shot something that made him fall down. The girls jumped back in horror, thinking he was killed. Before they could react, however, they felt a needle piercing their skin. For some reason, they felt very sleepy. The last thing they saw were the two individuals nodding to each other and entering the room.

* * *

(Fallout New Vegas – Under the Stars)

Those Dahl Marines knew their shit, thought Braylon as he sat in the Bullhead between two people with their guns pointed at him. Their general specifically requested a Bullhead free of any Atlas personnel, which earned them quite a few looks. Four Dahl Marines escorted their captive into the flying vehicle, ready to turn him into a corpse should he do anything funny. Two sat on the same bench as he and two on the opposite side, with general Thaddeus standing between them. With his guns and Shield out of reach, there wasn't much he could do without receiving serious injuries or biting the dust. Looking around for anything to exploit bore no fruit. The entire damn thing had nothing he could use. Thaddeus noticed his behavior and smirked.

"Braylon Monocriffe. The Eviscerator. Heard a lot about you. Could've been a fine soldier, a damn good one. But I guess it doesn't pay off as much as being a Vault Hunter." he looked at his hands then back at him, "You're not expecting to leave without seeing what we got in store for you, huh?", he leaned his elbows on legs, "'Cause I tell you, after all the shit you gave us, seeing you die is gonna be worth it."

Braylon glared silently.

"Wonder what's going on in that head of yours right now. Probably thinking of killing us all and, take control of this damn thing, that kind of shit?" Thaddeus chuckled and nodded to himself. "Not gonna happen. Not this time." His expression changed for a moment, before touching his right ear, "We're close? Alright."

The Vault Hunter decided to look through the window behind him, which upset the two Marines. They wanted to shoot him with their weapons but Thaddeus raised a hand, as if he knew the boy's intent.

"No need. He's just taking a look at what the locals call Mountain Glenn."

Below him stood a defunct city comprised of sand and old ruins. The landscape heavily reminded him of the one he saw in that other reality, though not as hopeless and dark. Unlike there, Braylon couldn't find one living thing on the street. It was dead in every sense of the word. Or it would be, if Braylon hadn't seen something strange going on. One of the ruins wasn't made of concrete, but of some strange yellowish rock he never saw before. It was populated with a few tall and dark humanoids that carried bits of that rock around, without any particular goal in mind. Their bodies were horribly disproportionate compared to long arms and legs. Some of them glared up at him. Their eyes were purple.*

His mind raced through the sea of possible explanations to the abnormal phenomenon.

"Ain't it wonderful? Never saw something like it in all my years of service. You are different story, aren't you? That's the way it goes for your kind, the Vault Hunters." Braylon was confused as to why he saw another Bullhead flying not far away from them. He stood up without a warning, which earned him four barrels pointed at his back, courtesy of the Marines. Thaddeus continued, "Seems we reached the destination. I can finally do this." He took a Maliwan Shock pistol from one of the Marines and shot Braylon. Without a Shield, it had the effect of a taser, paralyzing him long enough for the general to bring him to the nearest doors, which the pilot opened. Cold air filled the entire airship as Thaddeus pulled the stunned Vault Hunter closer to himself. The strong air current shook the general's scarf away into the cabin. Braylon's eyes widened in shock as he saw a strange symbol inside a pentagram carved on the flesh of the neck.

"Goodbye, Vault Hunter."

Thaddeus Wilson threw Braylon off the flying airship with a kick.

* * *

Yang was the first to wake up. The disgusting odor she felt turned her stomach upside down. It also set her mind in motion, as she was known to be somewhat tough when it came to repulsive miasma. Tougher than her little sister, at least. Speaking of Ruby, Yang's head moved left and right, trying to find her.

" _Ruby?_ …Ruby?!"

Her protective, almost motherly, instincts became quiet once she saw the little Red laying on the floor, near still-sleeping Weiss and Blake. Just then, her mind told her that the other teammates wore some strange white handcuffs, which almost resembled blocks of cement, around their wrists and ankles. She looked down and found out she had those too.

" _Where…?_ "

"Mmmh… keep quiet over there… it smells..." the Ice Queen mumbled, before opening her eyes. Blake woke up after her. She figured her shouting did the trick.

"Good morning, Princess. Slept well?"

"Who...? Yang?"

"That's me."

Weiss sent a confused glance at her, then at Blake and Ruby.

"Where are we? And what is this smell?"

"Doesn't look like our bedroom. No idea."

Weiss scowled at her blonde-haired teammate, as it was usual from her. Blake, trying to hide her emotions under a stoic face, felt what they all did. Her bow twitched.

"We're on a Bullhead." She stated as a matter-of-factly.

Weiss turned to Blake, then back to Yang, "...how did we come here?"

"We were invited, obviously." Yang chuckled.

"Can't you be serious for just a second?!"

"Mmm… nope."

But she did become serious, and it happened when the trio saw Ruby squirming uncomfortably, mumbling to herself. The handcuffs prevented Yang from standing up, no matter how much she tried.

"What's happening to her?! Is she okay?!"

"Looks like fever."

"That's impossible!" Weiss screeched. "The doctor said she would be fine!"

"Clearly the doctor doesn't know his job!" Yang barked in frustration as she tried, and failed, to free herself. "Argh! Damn these things!"

The Bullhead shook, then the engines shut down. Moments later, a blinding light obstructed their view, before a tall figure emerged and walked up to them. It wore green armor and a helmet. They knew it wasn't an Atlesian employee.

The man (or woman?) examined them all, then motioned to someone outside. Two more men in green came and started inspecting Ruby.

"Get your hands off her!" Yelled Yang, frustrated that she was unable to stop them from taking her away. Soon it was Blake's turn, then Weiss' and then Yang's, who managed to headbutt one of them before being shocked into submission. Only after they reached the outside world did team RWBY realize where they were.

"Mountain... Glenn?" Weiss asked in disbelief, as they collectively walked behind two armed Marines. "Why are we here?" She asked them. No response.

"Where are we, Weiss?" Yang asked from behind, slightly calmer when Ruby was carried in a floating bed near her, though she glared daggers at the strangers.

"Mountain Glenn used to be the first ever attempt at an expansion from the kingdom of Vale. It didn't last long because it lacked proper defensive measures against the Grimm." Weiss spoke in her usual know-it-all voice. "But… why?"

"What why?"

"Why are we here?", she insisted, "There is nothing of interest here."

"Technically, there is." Blake added, "I read that the kingdom of Atlas came to Vale to retrieve a prototype of a flying vehicle that crashed here, along with this "Dahl"."

"About that," Weiss continued. "have you ever heard of this "Dahl Corporation" before?"

"We should?"

"My point is, isn't it strange how a company can acquire a private military? In Atlas?"

The jab seemed to go unnoticed by the Marines, who kept their composure like some kind of robots.

"As far as I know, and I know a lot, the Atlas kingdom never allowed anyone besides itself to have a military in its own territories."

"Why are you bringing that up right now, Weiss? Can't you see we have a bigger problem on our hands?"

"But this is it, Yang! First, a corporation with its own military inside Atlas and now Mountain Glenn. What could… possibly… be..."

A yellow-skinned giant strolled past them, moaning and shambling like some zombie from a horror movie. Seemingly uncaring of their presence, it continued towards its destination, leaving the teenagers in stunned silence. It was such an affront to nature that they kept staring at it even after it went far behind them.

Then a second one appeared, right in front of the two soldiers. It elicited a shriek of terror from Weiss, since she was the closest to them. With its eyes glowing and teeth grinding against one another, it stood motionless in front of the two, snarling like a dog. After an entire minute, it turned left and shambled away. Weiss became as pale as a sheet.

"Have you seen how big it was!?" Yang whispered to Blake. "I wonder if I could take one in a fight."

Blake rolled her eyes. Even in such scary situations Yang Xiao Long tried to lighten the mood. However, everyone definitely heard fear in her voice, no matter how much she tried to hide it. Blake thought about trying her Semblance to escape but that would only cause more trouble. She looked forward. Weiss remained quiet and stared at the floor. She looked to the right. Her team leader's breathing became panicked, fast, only to calm down once again.

"Our friend needs help," she said to the soldiers who ignored her, "I know you can hear me."

Something was off. The entire situation sent a chill down Blake's spine. She had the feeling of being in great danger. The stench worsened to the point of being unbearable, yet their guards ignored that too.

And then they saw the first corpse nailed to a wall.

* * *

(Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse – Distant Megastructures)

"God-damn, motherfucking, son of a whore!..."

Braylon screamed at the top of his lungs. Or as much as he could anyway, because one of them was pierced with a metallic rod when he crashed into some ruins. He had to sit down and tend to his wounds until the PDA healed him completely. Removing the rod was far harder than he expected. Whenever he tried to move it, the pain would strike him like lightning. Once he got tired of going slow, he grabbed the rod and forcefully pulled it out. He gasped soundlessly, eyes wide like saucers. The wound would soon disappear, but the pain wouldn't, so he yelled through his teeth in rage and frustration.

Oh, how he swore revenge on the man who did that to him! He would find him and kill him along with everyone who tried to stop him. He would snap his neck and crack his skull open like an egg. But that had to wait, for right now he had bigger problems. First, all of his equipment was taken away by the Dahl, leaving him with only his PDA and holographic weapons. Second, the place they threw him in was uncharted territory as far as he was concerned. Thaddeus mentioned "Mountain Glenn", so he searched that word online.

" _Just fucking great. I am in the middle of a Grimm hive._ "

The negativity he carried around with him would be more than enough to attract them, if what he learned at Beacon was true. At least something useful from Port's endless rambling. That man would be responsible for his suicide one day, if he kept going to his class.

Walking on the streets of an abandoned city was always terrible. It had this creepy vibe emanating from everywhere Braylon looked. Doors were closed, windows were replaced by rotten planks, all buildings suffered one form of damage or another. It must have been horrible for the people of Vale when they found out that their serious attempt at expansion created a death trap teeming with nightmarish monsters. All that hope came crashing down with no survivors.

" _Hm?_ "

The Vault Hunter spun around, eyeing every detail, be they ruins, streets, dumpsters or else. Someone was watching him, observing his behavior. Feeling threatened like a cornered animal, Braylon materialized Holo Sabre and waited. When nothing seemed to show up, he spun again, only to notice a tall shadowy figure fading after it quickly crossed a tiny bridge in the distance. Something told him he should follow it.

It took five minutes to reach the destination. From there, he could take a better look at the city, or what was left of it. A street went below the bridge, leading to a giant pile of debris made by several collapsed buildings. Bits of a crushed car could be seen sticking out of it. He could see nature starting to retake what was stolen from her in the form of scattered trees and tiny grasslands that stuck out from the crude black and gray color of concrete and asphalt.

A strange "poof!" emanated to his left, eerily similar to the one at Beacon. He had to see what was the cause for such noise, he couldn't help himself.

Right there, at the end of the bridge, he saw an Arch-Vile.

" _Shit!_ "

This was no common Arch-Vile, however. Its skin was jet black as a shadow and its hands, raised to the sky, shone with a weird purple aura, a color shared with strange particles that surrounded its deceptively frail body, yet did nothing to hide the multiple afterimages of itself that materialized behind it every two seconds, growing in size then dispersing into nothingness. There was something stuck in its chest; something resembling a greenish pearl but with the size of a child's head. A black slit gave it the appearance of an eye. The newest weapon belonging to the countless legions of Hell sang a tune akin to the screeches of a whale, strong enough to shatter glass. **

"Aaargh! My ears!"

"Poof!" it went, ceasing to exist until the next time it would show up.

As soon as his ears stopped ringing, the young Vault Hunter heard a cacophony of monstrous shrieks and eldritch howls booming from the ruins all around him. Some sounded like they were miles away. At the same time, the Arch-Vile reappeared near some pipes and ran into one.

"Ho-lee shit."

It didn't took a genius to figure out what was happening. That demon sounded an alarm that turned every type of monster in Mountain Glenn into a frenzied, bloodthirsty bastard ready to tear him to shreds. Then it hid like a rat in its hole, though something kept nagging him to follow it no matter what.

" _I have to find out where it's going._ "

(M.O.O.N. - Crystals)

Jumping from the bridge, Braylon spotted the first wave of Beowolves, four of them in total. The PDA immediately began pumping combat-oriented drugs into his body.

" _Here they come!_ "

He ran behind a car, then kicked it forward with all his strength. It didn't move far, but it turned a young Beowolf into a pancake. Rather than wait for the other three to come, Braylon ran towards them, cutting two in half without problems then sliding below the fourth, chopping off one of its legs. When it fell, he grabbed the nearest block of concrete and beat its head until all the bones turned into jelly, coating the block in red.

Going uphill, then right towards the pipes, the teenager paid no attention to a Boarbatusk that chased him through the grassland. Telling himself to never look back, not even for a second, the Vault Hunter jumped over a tiny wall and into the remains of a playground. The Boarbatusk crushed through the wall, squealing angrily, attempting to ram into the human who jumped sideways. Moments later, more Grimm appeared out of the blue, as if they crawled out of the walls and ground.

" _I have to kill them before they multiply again!_ "

Narrowly avoiding a headbutt by the same Boarbatusk, Braylon reached a seesaw, cut it in half, then grabbed a piece. When the Grimm was close enough, he brought it down on its head like a sledgehammer. Not even the white plates on its head could help preventing the head from splitting in half, brains and gore dropping out in one disgusting mix. The second piece was used like a spear against a Beowolf near the early-mentioned wall, piercing its chest and pushing through the meat until it popped out of its back, delivering a painful death.

Even the merry-go-round wasn't spared from such a fate, though it was torn out from the ground by an Alpha Beowolf and used like a frisbee, which was cut in half by Braylon with his Holo Sabre. Braylon then swapped Holo Sabre for Holo Claw to pick up a nearby garbage can more easily.

"Garbage day!"

It swatted the can away, as he expected it would do, because then it failed to defend itself against the Holo Claw that stabbed the stomach. Braylon twisted the hand and pulled the claw down. The stomach was torn open as if a knife went through a piece of fabric. It whined helplessly, as it tried to stop the small intestine from sticking out of the wounds. Braylon left it there to die from blood loss as he concentrated on a small pack of Creeps, four strong in total.

He jumped above the first, crouched and grabbed it by the tail, lifted it up over his shoulder and dropped on the second. The third Creep tried to bite him, but his Holo Claw went inside the mouth, latching itself in its jaw, which came off with a sickening squelch the moment he pulled his arm to himself. Leaving it to choke on its own blood, he focused on the final Creep. The Claw once again entered inside a mouth, but this time it was stuck into the skull. All it took was a hundred-and-eighty degree twist of the hand to snap the tiny neck.

There were more Grimm approaching in even bigger numbers. One of the biggest was a scorpion-like Grimm with a golden stinger and thick white plates covering its entire body, almost like a living tank, known as Death Stalker.*** Braylon turned and continued his marathon to the pipes, deciding it wouldn't be wise to attack such a foe without proper equipment. How he wished he had the Nukem.

" _Almost there!_ "

The Grimm were dangerously close, but he was fast enough to reach the same pipe where the Arch-Vile hid. Ordering his PDA to activate the night vision, Braylon reached a very tiny room where the object of interest was a rusty old door that led to the service tunnels. Without thinking, he ran into the tunnels, making sure to close the door behind himself. The Grimm howled outside, unable to reach him.

" _Now where the fuck did that Arch-Vile go?_ "

Two paths were available. Braylon chose to go left and downstairs, then forward, left, right, then downstairs again and so on. He had no idea where he was going and he definitely didn't keep track of his route. The place was built almost like a labyrinth and the only thing he heard so far were his feet hitting the metallic pavement. He was in total darkness with no weapons and no Shield to protect him. 'Bad' wasn't enough to describe his situation.

The only good news were the Arch-Vile he found waiting in an intersection. He ran up to it, ready to impale the demon with the Holo Sabre. It teleported away seconds before the tip of the holographic weapon could pierce its strange-looking pearl. He slipped on something and fell.

"Agh! Son of a bitch!" His clothes were stained with some oil-like liquid. " _How many times do I have to buy new clothes, for fuck's sake?_ _More importantly..._ " he looked to the left tunnel and then to the right, " _Where did he go?_ " His ears picked up a growl, " _...Is that a fucking Skag I just heard?_ "

* * *

Ruby gasped loudly as she shot up from the bed, face drenched in sweat and cheeks burning. She just woke up from one of the worst nightmares she had in her life. The details were kinda blurry now that she was awake. She remembered walking and then encountering Cardin, only it wasn't actually Cardin, it was the red monster he could turn into and then he attacked her and she…

"D-deep breaths… deep… breaths..."

She was still wearing her Huntress outfit, though somewhat damaged in some places (she frowned when the word "Cardin" reached her thoughts) in the form of scratches and cuts, though her awesome cape was left intact. Strangely, her wounds were gone. She couldn't see any, only tiny red marks that would be gone for a day or two. Aura was really an essential tool for every Huntress, just like Weiss would always say in one of her lectures.

"Weiss!"

That's right. Weiss was nowhere to be found. Blake and Yang were gone too. Actually, where exactly was she? Ruby remembered being in the hospital with her older sister near her. Some strange people came and that's where everything went black. Now she was sitting on a bed, inside a green tent filled with s really, really awful smell. Just to be sure, she checked if she wasn't the one emitting that smell. She was not.

" _I've got to find my teammates! But where are they? And where is my sweetheart!?_ "

Okay, she had two, no, three things to do. One, find her team. Two, find her precious sweetheart. Three, find something to eat. Her stomach protested way more than usual. She couldn't believe how hungry she felt at the moment.

Awkwardly stepping down from the bed, then faltering towards the entrance, Ruby Rose decided to step into the outside world, to do something rather than waste precious time. But when she walked out of the tent, when her senses were bombarded from all fronts by the smell of decay, the cries of pain, the sight of headless corpses impaled on spikes like some kind of human shish kebab, her fifteen-year-old mind went into meltdown mode, dropping on her knees in stunned silence. Her silver eyes took in all the horror wherever she moved them. There was no end to it.

It happened so fast and without a warning that she had no time to prepare any kind of mental defenses for such an experience. Her eyes began watering from both shock and despair. She wanted to scream loudly, but she immediately placed both hands in front of her mouth. How could one day change so drastically, from good, to bad, to worse? Who was responsible for this?

Footsteps.

Many footsteps.

Quick, she screamed mentally, back to the tent, hide yourself! She quickly returned inside the tent as the footsteps came closer, hoping they would continue their journey without any suspicion. No matter how much she tried to focus on the footsteps (she thought she heard hooves too), her mind would keep replaying the images she saw outside, even with her eyes closed. Dead people, corpses in a pile… heads on sticks… so much blood…

Ruby released all the tears she tried to hold back. There was no point in holding them back. Father once told her about this. He talked about how sometimes bad things happen to people when they are most vulnerable. They are so defenseless against it, that they carry these bad things within their hearts and minds even years after it happened. Tragedy was something every teacher at Signal warned her about. It was one of the risks of being a Huntress. Now she knew how it felt, which made her innocent heart ache even more when she thought about all the Remnant's most famous Huntsmen and Huntresses

"... _Weiss_ … _Blake… Yang… Braylon..._ "

What if…

What if they all shared the same, dark fate as the rest of those people?

No, no, no, no. Her mind went in instant denial. No, she refused to believe it. She would go out there, find her Crescent Rose, find her friends and make the ones responsible for that tragedy pay. She just had to get up. Get up Ruby, she thought, get up and don't loose hope.

But her legs were heavy.

" _Oh no… oh no..._ "

The footsteps outside were long gone, yet she refused to leave the tent. Her mind was willing to do it, but her body shook and refused to budge. She couldn't even bring herself to peek outside, not even a little bit.

Was that fear?

" **...Ru… by...** "

Her mind went blank.

" **...Ru… by… Ru… by...** "

Now she was hearing things. Her mind broke from pressure. That had to be it.

" **… Ru… by… hun… ger… hunger...** "

Ruby felt hungry.

* * *

Barney Diamond was, like most Faunus in Vale, a young brat who dared to dream big, even if his current life situation forbid any dream from becoming a reality. His education was somewhat poor for many reasons like: younger siblings that needed food, a sick mother and poverty. Yes, Barney was a poor boy, one of those deemed unworthy of a life by the society he didn't choose to be part of. It was as awful as you could imagine.

Then, one day, and by pure coincidence, he met the White Fang through the White Tigers. Or better, he joined the White Tigers for protection and better living conditions, but when the big brains saw his potential, they decided to put him in the ranks of the White Fang, who promised even more than the Tigers, who used to be their autonomous cell in Vale. Whatever, thought Barney, as long as he got what he needed, he would even go so far as to swallow his pride and kill his decency.

He had to be a delivery boy? Fine. He had to carry crates full of Dust that could blow up in his face? Fine. He had to help other members stuff an entire train with explosives in the middle of Mountain Glenn, easily one of the most dangerous places on Remnant, inside a smelly train station in total secrecy to prevent the military assholes on the surface to screw things up? Fine. He had to ride that train towards Vale and let it explode so that the whole city could be overrun with Grimm? Fuck it, done and done. He stopped having standards years ago.

Until he found out otherwise.

See, the above mentioned tasks were relatively easy to pull off, as long as there were no moral busybodies to stop them. Even then, was it so difficult to pick up a gun and just shoot the damn bastards? Barney thought he could do it. He thought he could take a Huntsman by himself. He was street smart, he had the guts and he had balls big enough to kill a Human. There was one thing he never thought he would have to go up against, and that was a tall black monster with purple eyes and really long arms. Or three of them. Same thing, really. He would be fucked no matter how many magically appeared.

Yes yes, appeared. These things could teleport as they damn pleased, when they damn pleased. You couldn't hit them with the sword or shot them with the gun. That was cheating. Grimm never did that, if all the damaged books he found in dumpsters were correct. Not to mention the sounds they made, all the "aaargh" and "uoorgh" and all that shit. Barney, once he understood the danger, hid behind some crates and watched as his comrades were getting slaughtered by just three of those monsters. Those that were on the train decided to remain there. The death that stuck with him the most was that of a girl he liked very much. She tried to shoot one of the three creatures, but it teleported right in front of her, sank its fingers in her shoulders and tore her in half. Really fucked up.

"I didn't sign up for this." he muttered repeatedly, until he saw a nearby wall explode as a dog-like animal fell through, scaring off the tall monsters. It was the size of an adult and had so much armor that it would make a Boarbatusk jealous. Another thing Barney never knew existed.

Life decided to test his sanity a little bit further that day. The creature, when examined carefully, seemed to be heavily wounded by what sounded like a chainsaw-wielding Human psychopath, who kept screaming bloody murder as they hacked through its soft belly, ripping out chunks of meat and organs with their free hand. The face they had while doing so made it hard to distinguish whether they were seething in anger or smiling like maniacs. He always knew Humans were messed up in the head.

The last living Faunus that still had some fighting spirit cursed loudly and aimed their gun at the human, ordering them to step back from the beast.

"Yeet!" shouted the Human as they threw an entire fucking lung right into the Faunus's face. When Barney's comrade fell down, the Human jumped on top like an animal and started slamming their head against the Faunus's until they killed the poor bastard.

" _Did someone put drugs into my morning coffee?_ _No, seriously, I wanna know._ "

That train of thought quickly stopped when one of the purple-eyed monsters returned, right near the crates he used as a hiding spot. Barney started panicking when it looked down on him, as if it knew he was there. It shook for a moment, screamed and smashed the crates, sending Dust crystals everywhere. Before it grabbed him by the throat, Barney Diamond, for the first time in his life, began questioning his life choices.

* * *

Skag number twenty was down. With it, the sixth pack that stood in his way was gone. The Arch-Vile was, of course, the main reason. Every now and then it would teleport to such a distance that it was out of Braylon's reach and yet close enough for him to spot it. The Vault Hunter went deeper and deeper into the tunnels as the chase intensified. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, it always led him straight into a pack of Skags, which he had to kill off. In order to survive, he would require some potent drugs that would induce rage and increase physical strength. Unfortunately, he was ambushed by a pack of Skags right when he was giving orders to his PDA, so he may have overdone it due to pressure. They were strong, some even managed to hurt him, but in the end he was the one who came out victorious. The Alpha Skag he just killed was the proof.

And now he stumbled upon the White Fang. Or what was left alive anyways, because most of them were smeared all over the station. He heard one screaming near some crates, before the "poof!" happened and they vanished, along with that monster. It was of little importance now. A demon just went up Braylon's shitlist for the what it forced him to go through.

He grabbed the dead Faunus's gun, something resembling the ancient M16, and aimed at the Arch-Vile who stood near an open railcar. Why was a functioning train standing in the middle of an abandoned city-settlement and why were the White Fang terrorists present was a thought that Braylon completely pushed aside and dubbed "not important now, maybe later". After all, any demon, no matter how strong or weak, was a top priority no matter what.

"I'm gonna fuck you up, jackass!

Before Braylon could pull the trigger, it raised its hands just like the last time. Purple fire began taking shape around him.

"Shit!"

(Robert Parker - DiscoDeath)

Braylon ran behind the Alpha Skag's corpse. When the purple fire died down and when he peeked out from behind the alien corpse, he noticed the Arch-Vile standing on top of a railcar, turning its back to him. The train hummed loudly. It was about to continue its journey. Failing to catch it meant failing to kill the demon.

"You can't run from me!" exclaimed Braylon. He ran towards the nearest railcar and jumped through a window. The two Faunus who were there stared dumbly as the entire scene unfolded. He shot them both to death. All those drugs really began showing what they were capable off. He only hoped it wouldn't last long.

"Retards."

The train left for a its final destination, known only to the White Fang...

Ignoring all the large packages under each seat, the Vault Hunter used Holo Ripper to open a hole in the ceiling, only to be blocked off by the purple fire. At least he knew where it was when he heard it screeching. All he had to do to was to go through two more railcars, unless it moved again.

The second railcar should have been filled with passenger seats, but it was turned into a giant storehouse on wheels, filled with crates full of… something he had no idea what. A rabbit-eared Faunus jumped from behind a crate and aimed his SPAS-12 lookalike at a very pissed off Vault Hunter high on drugs. The latter used the butt of the rifle to hit the former's face, crushing the nose into the skull. Braylon then emptied the whole clip into the enemy, coating the wall behind in red.

"Bet you thought you weren't gonna die today. Surprise!"

He picked up the shotgun, quickly spun around and blew a head-sized hole into the stomach of a Faunus girl. She bounced off the wall and fell on the floor. Going forward, he shot someone's entire arm off then threw them through a window. Looking through said window, Braylon tried to find the Arch-Vile. Instead he found a horde of Grimm, in the distance, chasing after the train.

"Just what I needed." he grumbled, then swore loudly as purple fire reappeared once again, immediately retreating from the window.

"Guess I have to do it the hard way."

Kicking the door down, he encountered a Faunus taller than the others, holding a chainsaw. The way they stood indicated they were expecting him.

"Human."

"Victim."

"Grr… you dare!"

The Faunus seethed in rage, raising the chainsaw threateningly. Braylon cocked the stolen shotgun. Before their fight started, they heard a loud click. The Faunus, seemingly confused, turned around to face the door, staring with a look of disbelief on his face. Braylon interrupted any complaints from being voiced as he shot the man in his back. What both of them didn't know was that the shot masked a loud "beep!" of a device hidden right above their heads...

"Never bring a chainsaw to a shotgun fight, dumbass. Even if you do, don't turn your back to them."

Braylon stopped talking when he saw the Faunus standing up, seemingly shrugging off all the hot lead that should have turn his insides into paste. Even his drugged brain realized why. "Well God damn, I just found one with an Aura or whatever the fuck. Never got the chance to see it in an actual fight," his smirk turned darker, "like I always say, first time for every-whoa!"

He got so lost in his rambling, he forgot to stay focused on the chainsaw maniac, barely blocking the attack with his shotgun.

"That! Hurt!"

"Yeah, that's what they all say."

The shotgun was at its breaking point. Should he held it like that for even a minute longer, his weapon would broke in half and he would loose his life. This Faunus is strong, he thought, almost like one of those gym freaks from Pandora who like to show off their muscles as they strolled towards you, thinking how they were bulletproof.

"Hmph."

Braylon headbutted the Faunus, who took it fairly well, then delivered an uppercut that sent him flying across the room. Aura could save its user from injury, but not from pain. Still, he got up without a problem.

"Hehe. You hit hard. For a sissy."

"...You wanna go? Fine. Fine." Braylon nodded repeatedly, then materialized his own Holo Ripper. "You wanna fucking go, little Feral pissant!? You'll choke on your own God-damn eyeballs once I'm done with you, you hear me?!"

Both challengers walked towards one another, only to charge once they were close enough.

"You," he dodged a swing of the chainsaw, "and your friends can fuck right off! You," he dodged again, "ain't got shit on me! I have more experience than all of you put together!" Braylon ducked when the blade went high, then jumped when it went low. "Too slow!" While in mid-air, the Vault Hunter kicked the Faunus with his legs, who stumbled backwards, almost loosing balance. They charged at each other once again, locking their weapons in a struggle for supremacy over the other.

Until the chain of the chainsaw broke.

"What?!"

Braylon just smirked, cocked back a fist, then punched the Faunus in the face. With two more swings of his Holo Ripper he depleted the enemy's Aura, leaving him vulnerable to a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling on the floor. Braylon sat on his chest, placing the holographic weapon near the Faunus's throat.

"My weapon is a solid hologram made out of light that can cut through most things with so much ease that it's not even funny. The only few things that could prevent this are out of your grasp and you won't have them for at least century. And now, allow me to show you why I earned the nickname "Eviscerator"."

The Faunus finally dropped his tough guy act and began trembling like a leaf as the Holo Ripper slowly descended towards his chest. The plan was to scare him before delivering the final blow, though it succeeded faster than expected when he punched Braylon off with a fist.

"No!" he cried out, aware that one single attack would be enough to end his life, now that his Aura was depleted. He barely stood on his legs from exhaustion, a side effect from loosing the only thing that made him hard to kill. Thinking that his damaged chainsaw would save him, the Faunus picked it up. Braylon, annoyed that the comedy still went on, spun full circle and caught his victim by surprise with a swift, horizontal cut to the stomach, slicing it open.

The Faunus looked down, dropped his weapon and made few steps backwards. He felt the warmth of his blood touching his body and legs as he fell on his knees, seemingly loosing his strength to stand bit by bit. Another shock came when he felt Holo Ripper piercing his flesh between the neck and the right shoulder. It whirred like an actual chainsaw, tearing his insides for a whole minute, before Braylon drew it out, splashing the blood on the wall and floor with a loud splash. The Faunus felt his eyes getting heavier, before dropping like a rock.

"Good riddance." Braylon spat on the corpse before reaching the door. His jaw dropped when the train that was supposed to be there was nowhere to be seen. "Fucking…?" Just to be safe, he checked something out of the window. Two details freaked him out. One, the Grimm that were supposed to be really far away were about to reach the train. Two, the railcar stopped moving. He suddenly realized why the Faunus he killed was so confused when they heard that clicking noise. His own comrades left him behind.

And more importantly, what was that ticking noise?

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Ah, that could have just been the side effect of the drugs slowly wearing off, making him hear things that weren't real. At least, that would have been his poor attempt at explaining the problem. It would have worked, if he didn't have a PDA that, for some reason, forced the memory of the first railcar back into his thoughts as 'urgent'.

" _Wait a minute._ "

The first wagon. All those seats. Packages under each seat. Packages. Ticking…

"..."

Tick. Tick. Tick.

" _Oh, shi-_ "

Braylon heard the sound of something scraping against the metallic roof. He looked up and saw those purple-eyed monsters with open mouths ripping away the roof as if opening a can. Two of them also teleported inside the wagon, screaming and growling. He also heard the nearest Grimm.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It wasn't time to fight. It was time to get the hell out of there. Braylon ran straight for the door, avoiding the long hands that tried to grab him, with only one managing to scratch him near the left shoulder. It hurt, but if he didn't ran then what would follow would hurt way worse. The PDA's screen repeatedly flashed a warning about his physical health. Legs began to feel heavy. He ignored it. If he stopped running, he would be dead.

Tick. Tick. Beep.

All of the wagons suddenly caught fire, expanded and exploded. Not only was the sound echoing for miles through the tunnel, it was also amplified enough that anyone caught close to the explosion became deaf, if they didn't die first. The force it emanated threw Braylon several meters forward like a ragdoll as the tunnel began collapsing. It was like being a witness to the end of the world.

* * *

 **First chapter in and we are already starting strong! Man, I feel pumped and excited already. Everyone is dying, the world is going to hell (may or may not be literal), bullets are flying everywhere! Absolute chaos! Just what is going on?! Keep being the loyal reader that you are (at least those who reached this chapter anyway; thanks if you are one of them btw) and you will soon have the pleasure to find out. Right, no time to talk. I have to start writing my next chapter.**

 **Also, I am looking for a Beta. The reason is simple: increase the quality of the story.**

 **There is no point in having ideas if you are unable to write them down. I think frequent visits to the library are already helping me. Found this one book called "Black Out" by Elsberg. I recommend it to everyone who is open to unorthodox way of following the plot.**

 **Now I have to go. As always, please leave a comment with some feedback. It can help improving the story and increase my morale. It is something that every writer needs from time to time. Bye!**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #111:** Enderman

 **Type:** Unknown – Riftspawn

 **Faction:** Unknown

 **Description:** " _What a strange species this is. I feel wrong just looking at them. Definitely intelligent, that much is obvious, though I cannot understand the behavior. Why do they pick up random shit? Are they going to be a threat in the future? Only time will tell. Still better than those exploding green penises._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #112:** Allegor

 **Type:** Demon - Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Human, the enemy you just encountered infused his body with the essence of the Endermen, giving him unique powers._ _I think I understand why he did that. Most likely he was a subject to an experiment, to see if they could come up with a brand new weapon against the Doom Slayer. His first test would be an encounter with you. Make sure the results are different then what they expect them to be. And be careful._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #113:** Death Stalker

 **Type:** Grimm – Insect

 **Faction:** Creatures of Grimm

 **Description:** " _I guess every group must have the_ _tough guys that are really hard to bring down. According to professor Port, the Death Stalkers, even the smallest ones, have a type of armor that grows in toughness as the Grimm keeps growing. The largest specimens were immune to bullets and common weapons. Another special characteristic is the golden stinger, which is said to glow in the dark, thus attracting potential victims. Whatever the case, to me they are just another wall I have to bring down in a fight._ "


	38. Nemesis

(Doom PSX – Track01 (Hangar))

If there was anything stronger than Ruby's immense fear, due to horror she witnessed, was the beastly, uncouth hunger she felt. The urge to consume food was, much to her own astonishment, powerful enough to urge her to go outside in search for something edible. Even with the immense hunger eroding her common sense, Ruby knew she couldn't just waltz around without a care in the world. She was grateful for her Semblance, which allowed her to sneak from place to place with quick and precise movements. The only thing she really hated were the petals she left behind, a byproduct of her Semblance, which could make soldiers suspicious. Still, when one of said soldiers outright stomped on them, seemingly unaware of their existence below his feet, Ruby had doubts about them being a problem. On the other hand, the raspy breath she heard under the helmet, and the shocking red stains on the uniform, were probably the reason behind their lack of awareness.

Ruby pictured herself as a tiny mouse trying to hide from the big cat inside a labyrinth. That was how she felt, with all the hiding and running. At least the personnel weren't the most keen-eyed in the world, that was a relief. Although, Ruby didn't notice until then, all the soldiers she saw were acting beyond weird. Many uniforms were stained with blood, with bite marks or claws being so visible it hurt to see. Those that happened to be like that had the bad habit of smelling like spoiled meat or fish. Also some of them shambled all zombie-like, their breathing sounding like someone tried scratch their claws on a chalkboard. Ruby really didn't want to see what was inside those helmets. Not even for all Lien in the world.

It was disturbing how much gore she had to unwillingly take in. The smell of decay followed her with every step, sometimes tinged with the peculiar smell of blood. She had to suppress the urge to vomit or scream. It was like a nightmare, only much more real.

Faunus or Human, it made no difference to the men in green, who piled and burned the dead or even drained their blood, for reasons entirely unfathomable to the girl in red. Or better, she didn't want to know the reasons, she wanted to stop them from doing it. Right after eating something and finding what she looked for.

The more she moved, the more did her surroundings turn surreal. Symbols of different shapes and sizes were painted all across the ground and walls. There was something inherently wrong whenever she looked at them. She couldn't put a finger on it, but she felt immense dread whenever she would even dare to glance at their direction. Then came corpses. Walking corpses. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, just like she couldn't believe when she saw Huntsmen and Huntresses with red eyes, yellow giants, Faunus-turned-monsters and mutated animals. Those were no Grimm that died and turned into smoke. Those were actual, living things, like her. If Grimm were frightening, then those monsters were even more.

For as long as she could, Ruby tried to suppress the urge to cry. She decided to cry her heart out, in complete silence, only after hiding in a pile of metallic crates, where nobody could bother her.

" _This is the worst day of my life._ _I want to go back!_ "

Trying to wrap her head around the whole situation was exhausting. She tried to understand why would any Human being go so far as to torture and murder so many people. What could possibly be the ultimate goal? She also tried to come up with an answer as to why were there monsters roaming around without hurting the men in green. No matter how much she thought, Ruby failed to come up with an explanation, which frustrated her even more.

All mental activity stopped once two pairs of feet were close enough to be heard. Green boots, she thought, must be the soldiers. She decided to listen their conversation.

"This ain't right."

"Oui."

"No, fuck! This ain't fuckin' right, ah tell ya."

"You think I don't see that?"

"Ah, Ah didn't sign up for this! Nobody told me Ah had to shoot the damn civvies or paint walls with their blood."

One of the man kicked an imaginary pebble.

"Mon ami, what choice do we have now? You see how we are neck deep in it, right?"

"Ah know, man!"

"Then why are you complaining? The general's doing the best he can to get us out of here, and if it means we have to do all this shit, then who am I to protest, tu comprends?"

"Fuck the general! It's 'cause of him that we are in this shitty place."

One of them turned to the other.

"Ah can't stand seeing our dead friends walkin' around with their throats slit open day in day out. That's fucked up! They're supposed to be buried, Étienne! And, and there's the fucking monster dogs and shit, those fucked up giants, this fucking place, everything's goin' to Hell! Ah just wanna go home to mah family Ah hadn't seen in two damn years!"

"You know who actually brought us here? It wasn't the general. He had to do it for our safety. It was that salaud. That Vault Hunter fuck."

"Yeah… yeah, the sunovabitch himself. Man, Ah can't wait to get mah hands on him."

Both pairs turned around to leave.

"If he doesn't get us first, that is."

"Yeah. Kid doesn't know when to give up."

" _Kid?_ " Ruby thought, waiting for a couple of minutes before she got out. Looking around for another spot, she noticed a pair of blue eyes belonging to a man in white shirt and pants, observing her from afar. Her heart began racing, it became harder to breathe. They found her. Now they would go and raise the alarm and she wouldn't be able to save her friends and find something to eat and…

None of that happened.

The stranger, with an expressionless face, silently pointed at a tank-like vehicle parked near a small tent. He then crouched and pointed at the ground under the vehicle, stood up and went inside said tent.

" _Huh?_ "

Ruby stared in confusion. It then occurred to her that she was out in the open, so she used her Semblance to reach the tank and hide underneath. The moment she hid, a man with a beret and a scarf approached a hunched, hooded figure wearing a wooden mask and way too many rings on their fingers.

"Is everything in place?" asked the man with the beret.

"Almost." replied the other person in a raspy, yet high-pitched voice. The mask should have muffled the voice. It did not.

"What do you mean 'almost'?"

"We had to do some trial and error, before me and my loyal acolytes finally found the right recipe. Our 'allies' refuse to give us a hand, knowing that they have enough leverage to dictate the rules of this game. The demons can be so fickle at times."

The evil chuckle gave Ruby goosebumps.

"Fuck." the man muttered, "What about the other stuff… things?"

"Out of ten Gore Nests, we managed to build only two. It would have been faster if we had some proper demonic aid at our side."

"Damn it."

The masked man laughed again, "I sense fear dwelling within you, general. Are you concerned about the Eviscerator?"

"'Course I fucking am. Kicked the damn bastard out from one of those Bullheads. Felt like kicking a hornet's nest." he folded his arms, "I know he's alive. That wasn't enough to kill him."

"Yes," the masked man rubbed his mask, "Vault Hunters can be tough nuts to crack."

"You don't seem bothered."

"No. I am not."

"You know as much as I do that these monsters around us won't be able to hold him back."

"That is why we have the effigy. With a pinch of luck, we can buy enough time for the main event. One that will kill the accursed pest."

"Hope all the lives we took were worth it."

"They are, my dear general. We earned the favor of the mighty Tammuz, who gave us a fine deal in return for the Vault Hunter's soul. That is the only way your men can safely return to our reality."

"Not all of them."

"True. Those who died shall receive a proper burial."

"You think so? I still see their bodies walking around."

"The best we have at the moment. Once we summon demons, the Possessed will be of no use to us."

"You could talk with a bit more respect for your companions."

"My companions are dead. Those are their bodies. Do not be so foolish to mistake the two."

A series of earth-shattering explosions interrupted all activity around Ruby. It was so loud it could be mistaken for volcanic eruptions. Powdered concrete and asphalt turned into pillars of smoke that skyrocketed towards the heavens, branching off into smaller spikes as detritus rained down on Mountain Glenn. Some heavier chunks fell on several Possessed, either breaking their heads or crushing their bodies. Even a building collapsed.

The masked man's laugh turned even creepier, "It seems that subtlety is a virtue unknown to our little friend."

However, the other man had a different reaction, "Shit! Don't tell me he's-"

"But of course he is! He is the Eviscerator, in flesh and bone."

Around them, the monsters began howling.

"Damn it! I need to tell my men to retreat! He'll kill them all!"

"Then I'll be on my way."

"You've gotta help us!"

"Sometimes you have to loose a battle to win a war, my dear general. Never forget that."

After they departed, Ruby quickly infiltrated into the tent where the man with blue eyes went before. It was stuffed with several black luggage-crates and some large red chests with the word "Dahl" printed on them. The man was nowhere to be seen.

" **...hunger…** **hunger...** "

Half-frustrated, half-embarrassed, Ruby Rose decided to open every container in search for something to eat. Her stomach growled for a third time in less than ten minutes. She felt like she hadn't eat for days. The first luggage-crates held several weapons labeled "Torgue" and "Tediore" and "Dahl", brands she was unable to recognize. It confused her gun nut nature, but not enough to stop her mad search for food. Only the fifth luggage-crate had what she wanted.

"Food..." she moaned absent-mindedly.

" **...meat...need… meat...** "

Ruby looked at the contents. Dozens of silver packages, each with different words written on them. Trail mix, Skag jerky, fried Rakk, hamburger, cookies.

"Cookies."

" **...meat… meat!...** "

The voice in her head was immediately ignored. Cookies were far better than meat anyways. She took the tiny package, ripped it open and wolfed down on the baked dough with chocolate chips, greedily eating one after another.

" **...coo… kies?… cookies...** "

How she enjoyed the little treats. For a moment, Ruby seemed to forgot about the world around her, about the corpses and monsters and blood. Her thoughts escaped into the cookie heaven, where she would forget all the troubles just for a minute or two. Or three.

" **...cookies...** "

The voice in her head changed its tone. It went from naughty and demanding to well-behaved and obedient. Ruby chuckled.

" _Yep. Cookies are the best thing in the world._ "

" **...cookies...** "

" _Have you ever tried one? You want to? Here._ "

She ate another cookie, unaware that she was talking to herself.

" **...cookies… good...** "

" _Aww. I'm out. That was the last one._ "

" **...more...** "

" _Not now. I'm full. Now I have to find..._ " Ruby gasped, " _Oh no! I have to find them!_ "

Despite the voice's protests, Ruby concluded that enough was enough. She was so selfish that her stomach took precedence over the lives of her friends. The wave of guilt and shame gave her courage to open the remaining containers as fast as she could. After searching frantically for her sweetheart, the red sniper rifle, Crescent Rose found its way to her arms.

" _Yes! Yes! Now I can..._ "

"Child."

"Eeep!"

Ruby quickly spun around, meeting the man who stood near the entrance with his hands behind his back.

"Fear not, child with silver eyes. I am not your enemy."

Still, she pointed her sniper rifle at him.

"W-w-w-w-who…?"

"You and your friends have fallen into great danger. I came to help you."

"..."

"What is about to happen has the potential to harm many innocent lives. A furious battle between two combatants will mark this wasteland for generations to come. I have the duty to save as much mortals I can before that happens, including you."

They both heard a roar coming outside the tent. Ruby's eyes became as wide as plates when a Possessed Huntsman stormed inside, his red eyes locking on the tiny mortal in front of them. The man placed a hand on the Huntsman's shoulder, who howled as an orange mist evaporated from his body, before falling unconscious.

"I know your capabilities, child with silver eyes. You are a fighter at heart and a warrior in the making. Are you willing to help me in my mission? I can do it on my own, yet I think that some experience with the enemy won't hurt you. What is your answer?"

"..." Ruby gulped, "...okay. I think."

That was the problem. She didn't know what to think. The fear she felt was now gone entirely, which made her think that the man's actions helped the poor soul.

"What… happened to him?"

"His body was taken oven by the enemy. He is safe now."

"Taken… over?"

"Make haste, child. We don't have much time."

* * *

Good news: the tunnel collapsed, blocking any further advancement from the Grimm. Not even a horde could dig a hole through the giant pile of various trash, including the remains of a collapsed building, that stood in their way. In a sense, the creatures of Grimm were no longer a threat.

Bad news: the explosives that went off were probably heard by every living thing inside Mountain Glenn, meaning that Dahl soldiers heard it too and probably decided to check it out. And since the Dahl soldiers were sided with the demons, they would probably send some demonic firepower too.

In short, Braylon was probably fucked.

But, where did Braylon go after the explosion? He had to crawl all the way to the alcove with the service telephone because his legs resembled mashed potatoes and his back was a badly burnt mess. Once there, Braylon fought hard against nausea, concussion, ringing in his ears and a whole list of negative side effects caused by the drugs he used. The PDA, while helping its owner almost immediately, didn't forget the opportunity to flash multiple warnings on the screen. Warnings that he tried to ignore.

" _I want to die._ _Why can't I fucking die already?_ "

The alcove also had a tiny ladder that led to the surface. Braylon eyed the rusty construct multiple times, before sighing and shaking his head. In his current state, going outside, where there was a chance to encounter people with guns and bloodthirsty demons, was a mistake he had no reason to make.

" _Once tough always tough, huh?_ "

Braylon gulped down the bitter taste left in his mouth, only to feel it even worse as the urge to vomit overwhelmed him again. It wasn't even food, just the gastric acid that burned his throat. If only he could stop shaking for a moment.

Time passed with Braylon still laying on the ground and undergoing treatment thanks to his device. No one had come to kill him off yet. Not Dahl, not Grimm, not purple-eyed Endermen. He was all alone and in pain. Without his guns. Without his Shield. Without…

Without anyone.

A fist struck the vomit pond as quiet sobs filled his little piece of hell. Dark tunnels coupled with the overwhelming silence began playing tricks on Braylon's psyche. The only light he had came from the PDA that continued its work without questioning him. He was stuck in a void.

" _Just… let me die… please..._ "

After years of sacrifices, years of battle, of injuries, of horror, of suicide missions, the river of emotions broke through the unstable dam Braylon and the PDA tried so desperately to hold up. All the guilt he held back has finally caught up with him. Sobs slowly turned to laughter while he subconsciously ordered his device to download all memories back into his brain, no matter how awful they were. Every life he took, every gun he used, the money he spent. It all rushed back with a vengeance.

"Haha! Hahahaha!"

That was not a joyous laugh. It was the laugh of someone who witnessed their life crumble in front of their eyes without any mercy. To him it was the only way to vent out all the negative emotions. To someone else he would look completely insane.

His mind came back to the Dahl soldiers and that's where his laughter was gone.

" _..._ "

Braylon's emotions died down enough for him to rethink about the mark he saw on the general Thaddeus's neck and about the general himself. Dahl's private army did that to him. They joined hands with the demons to make him go down the memory lane. That would explain the Arch-Vile's behavior. They wanted him to suffer, and what better way than to bring him in some godforsaken place like Mountain Glenn? His fist hit the ground once again.

" _...I should have known..._ "

But it was too late now. He couldn't go back. The can of worms was open to the outside world. They turned him into a wreck.

" _...Damn you… damn you all for making me…_ _remember..._ "

Blaming the private army of Dahl Corporation surely helped remembering every bad thing about them. He even connected the mass murder on that island to them. There was no mistake. Nothing was sacred for those who sided with the demons. He had to make them pay. All he needed was to go on the surface and exterminate them all, be they demons or Marines. If someone kills him, he could simply continue his hate-fueled crusade in Hell. It was a perfect plan, a win-win situation, full body recovery be damned. It would also be a perfect way to put in practice the combat training he recently went through in his dreams, as strange as it sounds.

" _Rip their hearts out and tear the flesh from the bones. Rip… and tear._ "

They wanted war? They just got one.

* * *

No matter how many enemies she faced, Ruby could never move her eyes away from the man and his combat style. He told her, before they encountered anyone, that they would meet two types of enemies; those who had to be saved and those who had to be killed. The former, he said, were innocent victims who had to be 'exorcised' (whatever that meant) and brought to safety (likely hidden somewhere) as fast as possible, that was the main goal for both of them. The latter were just obstacles that had to be destroyed.

At first, Ruby had no idea who belonged where, right until the first skirmish with two groups of various Possessed. The Corpses were killed off with such speed and efficiency that even Ruby couldn't believe it, and she was the fastest of her team. The man simply lunged forward and pushed them with his palms, causing them to explode in a shower of gore that made Ruby scream. Those who remained, two Former Humans, received the same treatment as the Huntsman from the tent. He then approached Ruby and explained what happened.

"Child with silver eyes," he began, "what you saw is the enemy's filthy combat strategy. By stealing the bodies of the living, and by desecrating the dead, they march to war, knowing that mortals would have trouble disposing of them for emotional reasons. Our concern is to save the living of your kind from their bondage and take them to safety before your friend encounters them first (he had a solemn look while he said that). Others cannot be helped, I'm afraid."

And so started their trek through the camp. They battled against Tainted animals, Possessed Faunus and the Helltouched. Ruby once shot a Helltouched Servant with Crescent Rose. The bullet made impact with its shriveled hip and gruesomely ripped it away. She was used to seeing monsters bleed, she was a Huntress-in-training who had to fight the Grimm after all, but there was something wrong in the Servant's mindless flinching. It reminded her of the corpses that hung from the walls, the ones she saw when she woke up.

Possessed Corpses were even worse. No matter what she did, Ruby could never shake off the thought that what stood in front of her was once the body of a person who is now dead. Crescent Rose would shake in her tiny hands whenever she pointed the barrel at a Corpse, no matter how disfigured it was. The man probably understood her problem and took it upon himself to kill them whenever he could.

" _I hate this place._ "

For the first time in her life, Ruby Rose felt discomfort when fighting. Her targets weren't Grimm, she couldn't dehumanize any of the monsters she encountered. Each swing of her scythe could hack a limb or cut in half things that were mundane, like animals and other people, things that were found in everyday life. At least none managed to lay a finger on her, whether due to her Semblance or the aid of her mysterious guardian. She really wanted to say the same for her teammates.

Their quest brought them to a rather unique and horrifying phenomenon. Ruby, hidden behind some green barrels, witnessed the confusion of a group of black-robed people who circled around a rather strange construct sitting on a pile of corpses.

"It's not working!"

"How?! We've done everything right!"

"Why have you forsaken us?!"

The man put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, "Stay here, child."

Without waiting for an answer, the stranger kicked one of the barrels at the group. The barrel exploded, releasing a green cloud that began melting the mound made of corpses. A chorus of gasps could be heard before he ran forward and, with incredible agility, knocked them all out without taking their lives. He then approached the construct and ripped out an organ resembling a heart. To her shock, it screamed loudly before exploding.

"Let this world judge you first, before you receive the condemnation you so desire."

"...Is it over?" Ruby squeaked from behind the remaining barrels.

"I'm afraid not. We have to find your friends and destroy other Gore Nests in the area."

"...Gore Nests?"

* * *

Nothing could have prepared the low-caste demonic filth and the Dahl private military for the arrival of the infamous Eviscerator, Braylon Monocriffe. The bravest among the Dahl Space Marines and Laser Specialists refused to hear the general's orders to retreat back to the base. Retreating was good for the little pissants and greenhorns, they thought. They were seasoned soldiers, veterans that went through various battles and survived. Sure, they went against a Vault Hunter, but that's why they had supernatural backup. It was kinda awkward during the first encounter, seeing the dead walking again and other supernatural oddities, though the awkwardness soon became as mundane as drinking water. The general always knew what he was doing. Their lives were always safe in his hands.

The explosion everyone and their mother heard was a sign of the impending shitstorm that was about to be unleashed. Every soldier that remained became tense, almost paranoid, holding their weapons as tightly as they could. It wasn't because of the airships that began leaving the camp nor because of the constant demonic howls and barks and every other nightmare-inducing noise they heard. No, it was because they knew, they absolutely knew, that one Vault Hunter, so young that they barely left their metaphorical nest, would soon come out from those ruins and start a mayhem that shouldn't be possible for a boy his age. And while the demonic fodder jumped head-first into the battle zone, the Dahl employees thought it would be better for them to distance themselves, just in case. None of them expected that the Vault Hunter they sought to eliminate would attack from behind. One minute, there was complete silence. The other…

"No mercy for the assholes!"

(DoomPowerMetal – Doom Eternal Soundtrack: Entryway (Fan-Made))

The revving of a chainsaw was drowned out by screams of pure terror as one mildly psychotic Vault Hunter jumped out of nowhere and began hacking through several Space Marines. One Laser Specialist received a kick to the head powerful enough to snap his neck.

"No! Stay the fuck away- raaargh!"

One Space Marine brought his hands in front of his head only to loose them entirely as the holographic chainsaw cut him in half until it reached the pelvis. Braylon picked up an Incendiary Hyperion shotgun and made quick work of two more Space Marines. The only Laser Specialist that remained dropped his gun and fell on his knees, a dark stain appearing between his legs.

"Please don't kill me! Mercy! I have..."

"Mercy?!"

A thick vein popped on Braylon's forehead as he violently tossed the shotgun to the man's head, "Are you fucking kidding me?! Go die in a fire, faggot!" He stomped the man's head open, then spat on his corpse.

Picking up a Maliwan Shock SMG, Braylon shot two approaching Tainted dogs, then jumped over a pile of debris and shot a Helltouched Servant, electrocuting him enough to make his head go boom.

The Helltouched Embereye Braylon saw first carried a strange minigun whose barrels were glowing bright orange. Once the yellow giant pulled the trigger, Braylon heard the minigun whirring. It was the perfect time to use a new technique that he learned in his dreams. Said technique consisted of a specific, short-distance jump in a desired direction that allowed the user to maintain both his balance and focus on the target. It was called "strafing".

When the minigun began firing a storm of red lasers, Braylon strafed sideways, letting the Embereye hit a group of Possessed Corpses that were behind the Vault Hunter. The lasers disintegrated their flesh until they became nothing but bones or piles of ash. Meanwhile, Braylon used the remaining bullets on the minigun, causing it to overcharge and explode, claiming the monster's life.

Braylon had to run behind cover as a Dahl employee dressed in gray overalls-like uniform threw a metallic box on the ground which digistructed into a Sabre Turret with rocket pods and a targeting laser.* He jumped over a crumbled wall and landed on top of a Possessed Faunus, impaling her head with Holo Sabre. Grabbing her body, he lifted it up just enough to bait the turret. His jaw dropped when he saw purple bolts of energy turning the Faunus into a colander.

" _That must be an E-tech._ "

He peeked at the open field and noticed a Juggernaut Marine holding a heavy machine gun so crappy that a Bandit might have made it. The Marine fired again and few bolts ran past Braylon's head.

" _Yup. That's an E-tech._ "

The Vault Hunter immediately ran inside the nearest ruins, avoiding the volley of rockets and bullets with the agility of a feline. He found a Helltouched Embereye with a hunting rifle. Using the "circle strafing" technique, a modified version that relied on acrobatics to reach the target's back, Braylon drove the Holo Sabre into the yellow-skinned monster's hip. With the other free hand he grabbed its shoulder and pulled, shoving the holographic blade into its head the moment it turned around.

Everything he got at the moment was the hunting rifle whose barrel stopped glowing once its previous owner died. Braylon searched the corpse for more ammo. No such luck. He checked the magazine. Two shots left.

Purple energy bolts began to perforate the wall he used as a cover. The Vault Hunter waited for the perfect opportunity to fire a shot at the Juggernaut Marine's head. What should have killed the man was actually absorbed by the Shield he wore, though the next shot, aimed at the knee, pulverized his patella and destroyed the ligaments. Even Braylon had to cringe from all that pain he inflicted.

"Ow, my knee! My fucking knee, God damn it!"

As the Juggernaut fell, the other man deconstructed the Sabre Turret as quickly as he could before running for his life, frightened at the display of sadism. Said man would, some time later, encounter a haunting of Endermen that would rip him to pieces.

In one suicidal attempt to acquire the E-tech machine gun, Braylon left the safety of his cover and rushed towards the Juggernaut Marine. He dodged a fist, grabbing the offending arm and putting pressure until it broke. The broken humerus that stuck out from the wound was further twisted until Braylon could shove it, arm and all, through the Marine's right cheek and further into the throat. Not only did he snatch the machine gun, he also took the man's low-quality Shield and equipped it.

As a type, the E-tech (short for Eridium technology) weapons are rather special from any other ever produced by any corporation in Braylon's reality. What makes them unique is their heavy reliance on technology developed through the use of a mineral known as Eridium that seems to be native to Pandora. Said technology is highly advanced and extremely adaptable, being able to fit in almost any type of machinery, although its nature and its history forced its development to suit the needs of the gun manufacturers spread throughout the galaxy.

Because the Bandits on Pandora had a myriad of backgrounds, the most intelligent of them decided to build their own weapons, including the E-tech ones like Braylon saw in action. Most of the time those weapons were rather worthless. However the gun he picked up was pretty decent. Its magazine carried a lot of ammo and the gun itself packed quite a punch.

Truly, the way each energy bolt perforated demonic fodder was spectacular, for it had the power to atomize chunks of flesh, rather than tear through tissue like a normal bullet. No Possessed or Tainted survived the unending barrage, no matter how big their groups were. Many Dahl employees left long before he was able to kill them.

After messing up two Helltouched Servants and one Helltouched Embereye, the Vault hunter spotted a hooded figure running further into the camp, between several piles of corpses, some of them burning.

"Why are you running?! Why the fuck are you running?!"

So began the chase through the grotesque labyrinth, as there were no more challengers left, be they from Hell or Dahl. After passing the fifth pile of dead meat, Braylon heard a jet pack swiftly descending somewhere close to his position.

"Banzai!"

A Juggernaut Marine fell from the sky, striking the earth with his feet and causing a powerful explosion that sent Braylon flying into one of the piles. They didn't wear the standard green armor. It was bright orange like the jet pack, which also sported two wings at its sides. The helmet, also orange, was shaped to resemble the head of a Terran falcon.**

"Am I awesome or what?!"

"You're awesomely dead."

The Marine took flight again. Braylon escaped before he crashed down like a comet, then jumped on his back. There was a small, purple, triangular device with white dots on the Marine's shoulder.

An Oz kit.

"And what do we have here?!"

"Hey! Get off!"

"Birds of a feather," Braylon tore open the jet pack and ripped away some cables, before taking the Oz kit, "die together."

The Marine took flight again. He went higher and higher until the jet pack became too unstable and exploded. There was nothing left.

"See you in Hell."

* * *

At the outskirts of Mountain Glenn, where wilderness reigned supreme, general Thaddeus Wilson observed the Vault Hunter through the lenses of tactical drones that carefully followed their target without being noticed. Four holographic screens displayed Braylon's encounters with the sea of obstacles, each from a different angle.

"Incompetent fools," shouted the general as he smashed a fist against the console, "Is this what I get for trying to hold everything together?! Mutiny?!"

"Hehehe..."

Thaddeus wasn't alone in the command center of the ship. There was another man, one with a wooden mask and many rings on his fingers. He knew his name, although he sometimes had doubts regarding the personality hidden behind that cursed piece of wood.

"You should not be so angry, my dear general. Fools never learn their place until it is far too late."

"I don't care about them! I care about the safety of those who are in this ship. He's gonna come for our heads now!"

"No, he won't. There is one more challenger that seeks his soul."

"You mean…?"

"Yes, my dear general. Lord Tammuz is waiting to be summoned. Once he comes to this pitiful rock, not even the Eviscerator will be able to win. Fate is against him."

Thaddeus remained silent. He knew that requesting help from demons was a mistake that would soon bite him in the ass. But if it meant seeing Braylon Monocriffe die, if it meant that his crew could finally return to their home reality, then…

"Then I'm ready to see the end."

"As you wish. I will inform my loyal acolytes. But remember, my dear general," said the man as he was ready to disappear behind the doorway, "sometimes you have to loose a battle to win a war. Hehehehe!"

Furious, the general grabbed his personal ECHO communicator to deliver one final message to those who defied orders.

"All units still out there, this is general Thaddeus E. Wilson! Get your fucking asses back to DBS Cygnus! You hear me?! We're about to unleash the beast! I'm willing to forgive you if you return to Cygnus right the fuck now! Repeat, we're about to unleash Tammuz!"

* * *

When Ruby heard the explanation about the nature of a Gore Nest, the most she could do was shrug and feel bad for the victims. The shock effect she experienced earlier had less impact on her now and she hated herself for it, going so far as to accept the situation as it were. She couldn't lift a finger to change anything and it was pointless trying to convince herself otherwise. The hero she aspired to be felt like a third wheel in such a scary environment.

What gave her the courage to go on was the last bit of hope that still lived in her heart. The hope that her friends were still alive. Braylon suddenly invaded her thoughts. The way he acted on the roof of Beacon dormitories was truly awesome. For his sake, she decided to follow his example and gather all the courage she had in herself. Ruby tried to imagine his facial expression when he would see her hacking through monsters like a true Huntress.

Reality came crashing down on her when she and the stranger found the second Gore Nest. There were no groups of cultists ready to slice open their necks nor were packs of corrupted beings hungry for human flesh. But there was something else; the remaining members of team RWBY tied to metallic crosses with barbed wire, each tortured and bloodied.

Ruby rushed immediately towards them with her Semblance. Tearfully, she yelled at the stranger to help her pulling them down, before calling them by their names. They seemed alive, yet none replied to her voice. Their eyes were empty, almost lifeless, making the little red reaper's heart break in half. After they broke them free, Ruby let the stranger destroy the Gore Nest.

"They were tortured," the man stated.

"I… I..." Ruby began crying. "Why did this happen?! Why couldn't I help them sooner?!"

He remained silent for a moment before replying, "I can erase all your memories regarding the latest events and heal all your injuries. For you, it will be as if this day never existed."

Ruby looked at him skeptically, eyes red from tears, "...You can do that?"

"Yes."

"...Who are you?"

"Someone who watches, who watched and who will watch over you until the day you die."

" _That's..._ " Ruby closed her eyes and thought things through. Yang, Weiss and Blake had probably been through the same hell as their teammate, if not worse. The answer was obvious; heal their injuries and wipe away all bad things they saw. It was her responsibility as a leader; to take care of her subordinates. Should she deny such an opportunity, she could never see herself in the mirror for the rest of her life.

Thus, swallowing a lump in her throat, Ruby replied, "Do it."

The man lifted up a hand. She grabbed it gently.

"Make them forget about all of this. Please."

"And what about you? Don't you want to forget too?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because… because, if I forget, who will remain to stand up against these people?"

The man looked her in the eyes. She feigned courage, though she felt terrified.

"...You truly have the soul of a warrior. I will do as you wish. Know this, however; there is one more warrior who knows about the enemy. One with much more experience than you."

"Where are they?"

"Closer than you think."

"T-they are here?!"

"Yes."

She wanted to ask how he knew that, but the actual question was:"Where can I find them?" He looked at the three girls in silence. His otherwise expressionless face became a frown.

"Uh, what's wrong?"

"Their souls are absent."

* * *

With newfound hatred for both Dahl and the demonic invaders, The Vault Hunter went through the camp with the destructive force of a tornado. No matter how big the groups were, he would kill them all even if it meant adopting several dirty tricks that would make a bandit blush. When there was no ammo, he used the environment. When someone was too close for comfort, he would mutilate them with his holographic arsenal.

His biggest motivator, anger, rose to new heights each time he killed a Possessed or a Tainted rather than fade away. All he had to do was to remind himself that his target used to be "normal" once, before the demons twisted it like everything else they touched. Very rarely he would stumble upon a Space Marine. Those died before they had a chance to ran.

" _They had it coming. All of them._ "

Eventually his hunt for blood led him deeper into the camp, where even more grotesque stuff could be seen ad nauseam; hanging corpses, executed civilians, ritualistic mass murders, satanic symbolism similar to what he found back on that island and everything else that made his blood boil even more than usual.

" _S_ _eems they were busy. I'll have to leave one alive to learn everything I want to know._ "

Some time later, Braylon stumbled upon a tent with a large vehicle parked near it. He found ammunition and weapons belonging to Dahl. Most weapons were, as expected, of low quality (or outdated) and not really something to waste time on. But even in mud that thick, he could still find several jewels that would keep him company; an above-average Torgue shotgun, a Unique Hyperion SMG, a Vladof Explosive rocket launcher, a very old S&S Munitions sniper rifle, an Adaptive Shield, and a Maliwan Caustic laser blaster. Braylon would discard them all once he acquired his old weapons back, with the exception of the Oz kit and a grenade mod shaped to resemble a bee hive the size of a grown man's fist.

The vehicle was, and to this day still is, a source for pride for Dahl's R&D department. It was a tank almost twice the size of a bus; a light-plated wonder with a turret that carried two short but wide energy cannons used to take down spaceships or any obstacle that stood in its path, depending on the power output. Two smaller turrets stood at each end of the tank, capable of deploying mines. That tank was known as the VEKTOR.***

" _..._ _Why's this thing here?_ "

(Metatron Omega - Hierosgamos)

His thoughts were interrupted once his ears picked up a distant chorus of voices, not very far from him. Human voices singing and repeating everything one member said. Braylon was confused by the sudden development of things. One part of him wanted to go and find the source while the other repeatedly warned him how that idea was the equivalent of running naked in the middle of a pack of Skags. The former won.

" _I thought everyone left._ "

What he found was a tall effigy made of iron pipes, shaped to resemble a human-like figure with large horns on the sides of the head. There was no surface on the effigy that wasn't covered with a Human (or Faunus) body. Where they couldn't be stitched together or held tightly to the pipes with wires, they were hanging from a rope or simply impaled. The insides of the effigy were stuffed with cables and electronic components, the right leg was made entirely out of metal, as was the left arm. No traces of flesh or blood could be found on them. It was an abhorrent offering to death, an eyesore for the sane and an object of worship for the cultists that gathered together in a circle around it, where each member stood at one tip of a massive pentagram engraved in the ground under their feet.

"Oh, great one! You, whose cunning swayed an entire race to offer itself to you, bless us with your presence."

"Oh, great one, bless us with your presence!" others repeated.

Braylon decided to stop their little party by killing them all before they succeeded in whatever they tried to do. And yet his body refused to leave his hiding spot, as if he lost complete control over it. When the cultists fell on their knees, so did he.

" _The fuck? I can't move!_ "

"We call your presence, so that you might unleash your fury on this virgin world, where the one who dares to oppose you resides. One miserable, little pest whose life is worth nothing!"

"Whose life is worth nothing!"

"We offer our blood, so that you can reincarnate through the vessel your pious followers built."

One by one, they pulled out a knife from their robes and slit their wrists, letting the blood to flow into the engraved pentagram. Curiously, their blood mixed beneath the effigy only after the last cultists repeated the process for one last time.

"Take our blood and make it yours!"

"Take our blood and make it yours!"

" _What the fuck is going on?!_ " Braylon desperately struggled against his invisible restraints.

"And now we offer our souls, so that your essence can transmute the effigy into your avatar."

An aetherial green aura enveloped the body of each individual. They screamed in pain as their bodies convulsed, twisted, and shook. Braylon doubted it was just pain that made them yell as loud as they could.

"Nngh! I can feel the presence of the heretic! He is nearby!"

" _Uh oh._ "

"So then… the time has come! We offered sacrifices on the island, the soil beneath our feet is soaked in blood as you requested! Now hear our pleas! Slaughter your enemy, wipe away any proof of his existence!" one of them raised their hands up in the air. "I offer our five souls to build the overlay network! Come forth, Tammuz the Soulflayer!"

The auras focused on their heads until they collected themselves in tiny spheres that flew above each head. Those spheres flew towards the effigy and dived into its insides. The blood from the pentagram turned into red mist as a large pillar of red light enveloped the effigy. While the cultists fell dead, the skies turned dark and the ground began splitting open, green lava erupting everywhere. Braylon watched in horror as the earth transformed into some kind of blood red stone. Fleshy tentacles enveloped the ruins and those few buildings that survived the passage of time. Blood began to rain.

The pillar of light died down in a large explosion of energy that sent everything flying away, including the Vault Hunter, like they weren't worthy to be close to the being that used the effigy to manifest itself; a gigantic demon, even taller than the Overmind, who had one cybernetic leg and one hand turned into a giant cannon. The corpses of Humans and Faunus alike were melted like cheese, forming a layer of both soft and rough, wrinkled and youthful skin; few faces sticking out from its chest. Green wiring held together the torso and legs while hiding a large metallic spine fused to the flesh on its back. Its eyes were green glowing pits placed at each side of its head, a little beneath the large black horns. The canine snout turned to Braylon, who lay on the ground watching in fear and awe.

"I hope you understand, Human," a deep voice boomed throughout the streets of Mountain Glenn, the earth squeaking as the giant hooves stomped it slowly and mercilessly, "that everything that happens from now on is your fault. The sun will be extinguished, the oceans will turn to deserts, the cities will be adorned with mortal innards. Only then, after I snuff out every life on this planet, will your soul fall into the deepest pits of Hell, where it will suffer for all of eternity." The green eyeballs caught fire, "Let's go."

* * *

 **Will Braylon and co. survive the inevitable shitstorm or will they get their asses kicked? Find out in the next episode of DragonBall Z.**

 **Boring jokes aside, the next chapter will also be the end of this arc and the beginning of the biggest arc up to now. I am not entirely sure about its full size yet. Fourteen chapters seems too much, so the current number is somewhere between nine and eleven, unless my brain fucks me over and decides to push the damn thing to fourteen and up. I will probably kill myself if that happens tho, so no worries. I actually have to think the whole thing through instead of just making shit up! For so many fucking chapters!** **Is this how Picasso felt like when he entered his Blue Period? Though I doubt he had to stop himself from banging his head against a wall for having such ideas.**

 **Before you bite my head off: yes, I know what strafing is. I play the boomer Doom too. But I am enough of a zoomer to enjoy the newest version of the game AND get hyped about Doom Eternal, which is basically Doom 2 Hell on Earth. The whole "strafing" and "circle strafing idea" came when I saw the gameplay for Doom Eternal and noticed how Doom Slayer had the ability to quickly move out of the way (sideways).**

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Item:** Flopper

\- **Purple/High-Quality** Oz kit

\- " **So right, it feels wrong.** " (Always explosive, increased Damage and Blast Radius of slam attacks)

\- As long as Flopper is equipped, all fall damage is nullified

\- Allows double jumps, boosts and oxygen supply

* * *

 **(Temporary) Arsenal:**

 **a) SMG:** Hyperion SMG (unique)

 **b) Shotgun:** Torgue shotgun

 **c) Sniper Rifle:** S&S Munitions Sniper Rifle

 **d) Rocket Launcher:** Vladof Rocket Launcher (Explosive)

 **e) Energy Weapon:** Maliwan Blaster (Causitc)

 **f) Shield:** Adaptive Shield

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #114:** Combat Engineer

 **Type:** Human

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _When in doubt, deploy a Sabre. I bet my ass that's what the Combat Engineers learn at the academy. Other than being a walking vagina with a gun, that's pretty much the only reason they exist as a unit. Those Sabre turrets are worth ten lives. They can seriously turn the tables in combat, if placed correctly. Too bad most of these retards have a room temperature IQ and/or are tripping balls most of the time._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #115:** Derek "The Falcon"

 **Type:** Human – Hero

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _Murphy law on war says: "You are not Superman; Marines and fighter pilots take notes._ " _The second law on war says: "Military Intelligence is a contradiction." I think I said enough._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #116:** VEKTOR

 **Type:** Construct

 **Faction:** Dahl Corporation

 **Description:** " _If you were to ask me who are the most important people in an enterprise, I would answer "those who make the marketing team because you can always blame them for everything". That is not the case here. VEKTOR was made because of a dick-measuring contest between Dahl and now defunct Atlas. This thing can take down fucking spaceships with the amount of firepower it carries around._ _The only problem was the fuckton of money needed for development and mass production. To give you a picture, the cost can be compared to the loss of the armory near T-Bone Junction, with the only difference that Dahl never dealt in nepotism._ "


	39. Tammuz Lives!

(Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – Un'altra Persona)

Braylon soon realized how the entire situation turned into something far beyond his capabilities when Tammuz set his hooves on Remnant's soil. This new demon was a pure volcano of power, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. He, on the other hand, was a normal man, a lowly mortal with no understanding of the things beyond his mental grasp, and yet his whole body could feel the power emanating from the effigy-turned-avatar in the form of a scorching heat wave. It wasn't trying to hold back its power, it wasn't ashamed of it. That was proven when its non-robotic hoof stomped the ground with a bit more force than before. The dirt exploded into chunks as a green wave of energy sent Braylon flying backwards.

"After so long," it snarled, "Tammuz returns to the mortal planes to wreak havoc and misery. I seek revenge against the Anathema who chained me into the dark pits of Hell in utter isolation. You will all suffer. So declares Tammuz the Soulflayer.*"

Exhaling steam from the mouth, Tammuz lowered his head, eyes focusing on the tiny shape which stood motionless and with mouth agape.

"You are the one." it stated matter-of-factly, watching as the Human tried to stand on his legs and fail miserably as the mental shock caused by the supernatural power sank deeper into his being. "You will be the target of my wrath for the time being. Anyone who receives help from the loyalists must undergo severe torture."

It raised the fleshy hand, gestured to their ambient, "Observe what I have made! You cannot imagine what is yet to come! I am fear itself, no mortal can oppose me!" With a simple hand gesture the ground beneath Braylon exploded, throwing him into the air with disturbing ease. The Vault Hunter screamed in pain as if someone tried to cut him open without anesthesia. Tammuz continued his speech after a short display of power, "Don't leave us yet, Human. I want to see your new home wail in despair in front of me. Only then will I imprison your soul in Hell."

Tammuz strode to the still-screaming Vault Hunter. Raising the robotic hoof, it declared, "This is where every mortal belongs; under my hoof."

However, before Tammuz could turn Braylon into a bloody smear, a red blur picked him up seconds before the hoof went down with the aggressiveness of a pneumatic hammer. Nonplussed, the demon moved his head to the left, finding a Human girl with a red cape crouching near the wounded Vault Hunter.

"And what could possibly be the reason for your interference, silver-eyed one?"

Ruby didn't listen. She was focused on helping Braylon, who writhed in her tiny arms. Thinking how she was helpless to ease his pain, she began crying. Her tears fell on his cheeks, evaporating seconds later due to the sudden rise in temperature in the entirety of Mountain Glenn.

"Braylon! Are you okay?! Please answer me!"

"...run..." he croaked, "...it's dangerous."

"No! I won't leave a friend in need."

His eyes widened slightly, "...f-riend?"

"Your empathy touched my heart." Tammuz interrupted, "Why yes, there is still a little part of me that feels mercy for you. I will make your death quick and painful, then carve out your hearts and nail them on a pike in front of my throne."

The cybernetic cannon whirred into life as it fired three rockets at the duo. Ruby used her Semblance to escape into safety along with her friend. The rockets exploded into an inferno of green fire, grinding concrete into fine dust. Tammuz scowled.

"What? You want to challenge Tammuz? Insanity!"

A little green fireball grew rapidly in size above Tammuz's palm. It then divided into three smaller orbs that flew in front of his face.

"Find them."

The orbs shook slightly and chased after Ruby like dogs after a fox.

* * *

Ruby gave her best in trying to distance herself from the gigantic demon, thinking it was pursuing them. Using a Semblance to travel at high speed across the camp, and eventually passing its boundaries, while carrying a person both taller and with more weight, strained the poor leader of team RWBY. The primordial fear caused by witnessing the manifestation of a supernatural being was just one more factor that gave her the will to keep abusing her Semblance as long as it would help in avoiding any kind of conflict with the demon. She hoped her teammates would remain safe with the stranger, along with all other exorcised people, until she could come back. Right now there was a friend who required help.

The unbelievable change done to Mountain Glenn was, well, unbelievable. Black sand replaced asphalt roads while the dirt turned into blood red stone. Most plants were dead, with trees being lifeless trunks covered in spikes that grew out of their barks. Stalagmites were also a thing; quite a few were almost as twice as tall as Ruby. Fleshy growths resembling vines infested many still-standing structures, with some of them wriggling like worms as soon as the warm winds touched them. Blood rained from the jet black skies, which grossed out Ruby as it stained her uniform. Good thing it was black and red.

Having seen enough eldritch horror, the little leader of team RWBY decided to barge into a small house whose door was sealed shut with wooden planks. It was in relatively good shape, although the remaining furniture was rather dusty from years of abandonment. She put Braylon down, making him lean against a wall, before closing the doorway with a wardrobe in dire need of a paint job.

They didn't talk for a while. Ruby sat on the floor near Braylon and tried to regain oxygen back into her lungs at normal pace, although all the dust made it hard to breathe without sneezing. She would be fine. Braylon would not. Little grunts escaped him, sounds of someone who felt like crap. His face was paper-white, although it slowly regained color over time.

"That… was embarrassing. To be carried around by a midget like a princess."

Ruby shot him a glare and pouted. It felt like she was trying to give him her best "I am so angry at you right now" look. Problem was, Ruby wasn't the type of person who looked like she could hold any kind of anger in her heart, especially for someone whom she labeled "friend". Her frown with those worried eyes looked rather cute, according to him, so he just smiled in return. That seemed to calm her down, as her frown turned into a sad, worried expression when Braylon cringed from pain.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Used to it."

Ruby thought that the phrase "used to it" should never serve as a reply for when someone asks health-related questions. She didn't insist though. Her energies had to be invested in other, more important, things. If he said he was fine, she would believe him.

"And you?"

"Um?" the question took her off-guard.

"What about you?"

"Fine..."

Now her "fine" was quite different from Braylon's. Her eyes stared at the floor when she replied with a "fine". She had the look of someone who was everything but fine.

"Something wrong?"

Ruby bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears.

"...I found my teammates."

"And?"

She looked away, "...their souls are missing."

Braylon, who up to then had one of his hands resting on the floor, curled said hand into a fist with enough force to crack the floorboards. Ruby jumped a little as she looked at the doorway, thinking how demons attempted to infiltrate into the building.

"Their souls are missing? How?"

"I don't know! Just… the man said so."

"The man?"

"A stranger I met after I woke up. He helped me find my teammates and exorcised people. Now he's taking care of them while I'm gone."

Braylon frowned, " _Exorcised people? The hell is she talking about? I must learn more._ Ruby, can you describe him?"

"Ah, he was tall… blue eyes… really weird."

"Weird how?"

"He just… he was mostly quiet, spoke in a weird way and acted like Ren. Why are you asking me this?"

"You put your trust in a person you just met?"

"He didn't attack me."

"And that's the reason?"

"Well sorry if there was one normal-looking person among the monsters and blood and death and..."

"And what you mean by "exorcised" anyways? How did he do it?"

"I don't know, he just... touched them and this orange fog came out and they became normal people again. He called it "exorcism"."

" _...Whaaaa…_ "

Awkward silence came back with a vengeance. This time they both made sure to listen to any suspicious noise for a few moments, like footsteps or growls. When the only thing they heard was the abnormal rain, Ruby asked Braylon the same question again.

"Are you okay?"

"I told you I am."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

"Someone who screamed like that cannot think they will get away with something like "I'm fine"."

"Pain is a natural part of life."

Ruby rolled her eyes at the poor attempt, "I want to help you."

"You helped me enough."

She folded her arms and frowned, "Tell me that while you're looking me in the eyes."

Braylon sighed and did as requested. She kept persisting with her gaze, so he replied in kind. They both stared at each other silently until their anger, or annoyance, slowly turned into calmness and then into silent laughter. None of them knew what was funny. Maybe they just had to calm their nerves to avoid going insane.

Then Ruby noticed a stain between Braylon's legs, making a face that warned him of it.

"Took you a while." he snarked.

"That's, um..."

"I don't care, really. You would react the same as me if you were in my shoes."

"...What was that thing anyway?" Ruby tried to change the subject.

"Remember what I talked about at Beacon, right after me and JNPR returned from the island?"

"Ah..."

For a brief moment, one they never expected to happen, Ruby and Braylon glanced at each other simultaneously. And right there, in that dusty, dimly-lit house, their eyes made a special contact that sent jolts of bewilderment between the two, even if it lasted for a couple of seconds. Though hidden by the darkness, Ruby's cheeks became slightly red. Braylon, on the other hand, remained impassive and showed no emotions. He started thinking about her eyes, their color, and how it reminded him of the day that changed his life forever.

(Myuu – What Could Have Been)

"You know," he broke the silence, "your eyes remind me of something that happened when I was ten." He heard a soft whimper. "It was the day when I earned the title 'Eviscerator'."

That last word sent chills down Ruby's spine. She heard it during the talk between the two men right before the explosions, which she now assumed it was his doing. A person doesn't earn such a title without doing something really dangerous, no? And now she was about to hear the origin story.

"That hell of a day began for me when a bandit clan barged into my family's propriety and took us all away. We were outnumbered. Five bastards for each of us. My father killed twelve of them before they subdued him by using us as bait."

Ruby looked him in the eyes once again. He wasn't looking at her, but at some distant point past her. His eyes were cold and empty. Even more so than most of the times. It freaked her out a little.

"First thing they did was to separate me from them and tie me to a wooden telephone poll." He chuckled. "You ever had one of those summers where the sun was so fucking hot you felt like you're stuck in a microwave? Imagine having that summer in the middle of a desert. Now imagine being exposed to that sunlight for an entire, fucking, day. Did you know a day on Pandora lasts ninety hours?"

He paused for dramatic effect. A lump formed in Ruby's throat, hard to swallow and bitter enough to let her empathy kick in. She didn't like the mess her speeding thoughts turned to, fearing that they would grow into an avalanche and bury her entirely.

"As you might've guessed, too much sunlight can mess up your head, drive you insane. Makes your world spin and tongue feel like a dry piece of meat that you can't eat or spit out. A Rakk was my only company. Heh, bastard poked my eyes out. And I just regained my eyesight after I lost it few years before. Yeah..."

They both cringed for different reasons.

"Night came and something within me snapped. I was at the edge. Couldn't take it anymore. And then, then my device activated its AI function to avoid its user's death. Back then, I thought it was a hallucination, right until it installed my first ever enhancement which gave me physical strength needed to break free. I wanted to run away with my family at my side, so I searched for them. Found their bodies. Father, mother and big sister. I recognized them only because of some family trinkets they used to have with them."

Even after all those years, the question of whether things could have ended up differently or not would still linger. Maybe there was another way of doing things that he missed. Approaching the problem from different angles only meant more pain gained from knowledge that there was a tiny bit of chance capable of turning things for the better, and he failed to address it entirely because of his issues.

"Genocide ensued. I dunno who had more control over my body; my then-psychotic self or my merciless AI. Everyone was dead. That is how I became the "Eviscerator", even though it was accredited to me much later, when my face became popular. And now here I am, a seventeen-year-old with piss-poor life decisions. Sounds kinda funny, don't you think?"

She was silent.

"I am thankful though. If my life decisions weren't piss-poor, I would've never be here. I would've never meet you people. You stupidly optimistic, friendly, easy-going people. You know, I thought you wore contact lenses when we first met. Turns out you aren't. Guess I'm not the only one, huh? Ruby?"

Very faintly, he could hear quiet sobs. He became suspicious.

"What's wrong with you?"

Ruby suddenly tackled him into a tight hug. Well, as tight as a fifteen-year-old was capable off. She buried her face in his arm as her sobs quickly became loud babbling about how she was sorry and other sugary stuff a girl her age could come up with. It was really awkward.

"Um, there, there?" he patted her on the head uncertainly. "Everything's alright. You don't have to cry for me."

She didn't listen, squeezing her face even harder, as if it would add more dramatic effect to an already emotional scene. He let cry as much as she wanted, because he knew there wouldn't be time for that later.

"Do not fear."

The teenagers shook when they heard a female voice coming from the shadows that began to take a humanoid shape. Braylon, who was ready to shoot at the newcomer with the ferocity of a tiger, relaxed when the shape turned out to be the girl that led him to the Overmind.

"Don't scare me like that."

"You know this little girl, Braylon?"

"She's… not exactly a girl… or a human..." He saw Ruby's face and quickly added, "No, no, no! She's not an enemy!"

"Indeed I'm not. I came to deliver a message."

"A message?" they both said.

"Tammuz has come. His all-consuming rage reshaped the world around him, and it will only grow worse as he continues to walk in this reality. He must be stopped for the good of all living things. That is your task today, the most dangerous one yet."

"Why us?"

"Tammuz despises mortals; ever since he performed the cursed act that brought divine punishment upon him. That contempt remained to this day. He will be punished by the Omnipotent in a way that will show him the error of his ways. That punishment requires both of you."

"And how do we defeat him?" Ruby asked.

"Not defeat. Kill."

"...Kill?"

"Kill?" Braylon parroted. "I thought demons couldn't be killed by a mortal."

"His time for penance is over. Tammuz's death will shake the whole Underworld, down to the last Condemned. It will be yet another warning about the upcoming closure of the gates of mercy."

Braylon gulped, "Sounds… important."

"It is important."

"Yeah, but why us? Me and Ruby?"

"You have the gift."

"Which one?"

"You still haven't figured it out?"

"..."

"Look at each other. What is the most peculiar detail that immediately catches your eye?"

They looked at each other as told. Ruby blushed.

"Now do you see?"

None of them replied; a green light illuminated the entire room from behind the wooden planks that blocked the windows.

"What's that?!" Ruby cried out. The girl was gone.

The light grew in brightness for a few moments as loud crackling made the duo think that the house was on fire. They weren't relieved in the slightest when the light died down and loud growling reached their ears. Telling her to lie down, Braylon tackled Ruby, hugging her tightly as the entire wall exploded, bricks and dust falling everywhere. Soon the offender revealed its face; an orcish, morbidly obese demon with two metallic cannons for hands and a plethora of cybernetic implants fused to its blue skin all over the body, including something that resembled a yellow heart-shaped core. Two yellow pinpricks for eyeballs were almost drowned in the excess fat and wrinkly skin that caked its pug-like face. Its mouth was packed with rotting teeth and sweet carrion breath as a purring growl emanated from the depths of its throat. Being cousins of the infamous Mancubus tribe, this type of demon is known as Behemoth.**

(Doom 2016 – At Doom's Gate)

"Run! Run!" Braylon shouted as he picked up Ruby and dashed straight for the door to the next room. The Behemoth raised its cannons and fired a thick wall of gyrojet projectiles, an ability that shared way too many similarities with Torgue shotguns for Braylon to be comfortable. Luckily, he managed to enter into the second room just in time. The projectiles formed fist-sized holes on every surface they happened to touch.

"We need to get out!" he said as he put Ruby down.

"That window!"

"Good idea!"

The Behemoth fired again, obliterating the obstacle that stood in its path as it stomped forward, eager to turn the two humans into varying degrees of paste.

"We're surrounded!"

Braylon said that when two more demons spawned; each on the opposite side of the street. They came in the form of green fire like the Behemoth. Two more threats they needed to watch out for. On their left; a Baron of Hell lookalike with skin resembling charcoal, in both color and appearance, with a blade growing out of each hand, coated in blue fire. It had a title; Duke of Hell.*** And on the right; a Baron-like skull with orange horns and one yellow eye connected to the body of a Summoner with red skin named Harvester.****

"Are you alright?!"

Braylon clenched his teeth together, "Don't worry! Now go!"

The Duke of Hell bellowed angrily as a thunderbolt formed in its left hand; which was thrown like a dart towards Braylon. This time Ruby repaid him by using her Crescent Rose's recoil that pushed them away from the thunderbolt's trajectory.

"Thanks." he mumbled quickly before they ran into some ruins. The two demons followed them accordingly.

Ruby used her Semblance to make the passage through the ruins easier and quicker, knowing that the Harvester flew above their heads while the Duke of Hell simply tore any obstacle apart with its pure strength. When the Duke became tired of chasing Ruby and Braylon, it raised its hands and created an electric nova blast. The area of effect engulfed the whole ruins. While Ruby and Braylon found safety under a large piece of concrete, the Harvester felt all of the Duke's rage. Even if it wasn't killed, it crashed down into the ruins, stunned.

Ruby got out first. She gave a hand to her partner, but he swatted it away.

"Go."

"What? No!"

"Go, I said. We'll split up. They are way too dangerous for us to take them all at once."

"But, you can't..."

She saw how pale Braylon was. Even if he recovered slightly from the damage he received, he wasn't as nearly as in the shape he was before. Braylon pushed the protective piece away and stood up.

"I'm going that way."

"You can't force yourself like this!"

"Puah! Watch me."

He ran off, trying his best to ignore the pleas of the girl in red. He knew the same thing she did, and yet he wanted to move the demons as far away from Ruby as possible. Guilt dictated that he should take all responsibility for everything that happened to team RWBY, starting from Ruby, who was unfortunate enough to see and feel something she shouldn't. If he had to pay the price as a result for taking them to safety, then who was he to complain?

Immediately after he reached the street, the Duke of Hell crushed through a wall like a dump truck, its eyes staring at Braylon's soul more than at Braylon himself. Meanwhile, the Behemoth in the distance waddled towards them leisurely.

Aiming to cause as much damage possible in the shortest amount of time, Braylon decided that the best weapon for his situation would be the Vladof rocket launcher, which had a high rate of fire, so he materialized it and pulled the trigger just as the Duke began its deadly charge. Five rockets struck its chest, cracking the tough hide, although it did nothing to slow the demon down. When it was approximately five meters away, the Duke jumped and raised its fists. Braylon saw this as a sign that he should get the hell out of its way, so he stashed the rocket launcher while strafing backwards simultaneously. When the Duke hit the ground, it released a powerful electric shockwave that depleted Braylon's Shield, despite it adapting itself to the elemental attack.

Braylon materialized the same rocket launcher again and unleashed the last remaining rockets in the clip. The cracked hide now began falling away in large chunks, revealing blue fire instead of "normal" flesh and blood. Even then the Duke showed no signs of slowing down, instead opting for another thunderbolt. The Vault Hunter strafed sideways and reloaded the rocket launcher, then fired three more rockets at the exposed fiery pit that was its chest. It howled in pain as even more rockets struck its body, until it released another shock nova, frying Braylon's weapon and depleting that little battery capacity that the Shield was able to recharge. The remaining damage was absorbed by Braylon's body and soul as he flew backwards.

If it was bad before, now it was worse. The electric shock made his body shake uncontrollably. Thanks to the A-045 Cationic Insulator, an enhancement that gave him slightly more resistance to electricity-based attacks, he was able to stabilize his arms and hide the materialized Torgue shotgun from the approaching Duke of Hell. Braylon enjoyed the dumb look on its face when he was finally able to turn around and reveal the weapon. Perhaps, to a demon, it looked like a pile of metal shaped in the form of a stick. The reality was much different.

"Goodbye, bitch!"

Sixteen gyrojet projectiles hit the Duke of Hell's exposed chest. What wasn't pulverized was either ripped apart from the body or was sent flying several meters backwards.

" _Good God, I can't wait to punch the next moron that dares to diss Torgue guns._ " Braylon coughed saliva mixed with blood. The attack must have done some heavy damage to his organs. Nevertheless, he had all the time in the world to heal his injuries. The Behemoth didn't look like it was capable of running.

* * *

Ruby was well aware of the danger that the Harvester posed should it be left unchecked. It could, for example, attack them while they were busy with other things, thus making their lives even more difficult than they were. To prevent that, Ruby scouted the ruins in search for the demon. So far, she found nothing.

" **...hungry…!** "

Then there was the nagging voice inside her head; the product of her insanity, as she liked to believe. Ruby told herself that she wasn't really hungry and that she ate not too long ago. But no matter how much she tried to reason with herself, the voice would just become nastier in its mad desire for food. Ruby, being on the verge of a breakdown, decided to discipline the voice.

"If you bother me again, you won't get cookies for a whole week."

" **...hungry...** "

"I don't care! There are more important things right to me right now than stuffing my face with food."

" **...** **but...hunger...** "

"I will look for more cookies if you behave yourself. Ok?"

" **...** **danger...** "

Ruby opened her mouth and then quickly closed it, immediately using her Semblance to put some distance between her and the "danger" that shrieked as its beam attack missed. Ruby spun around and made eye contact with the Harvester. The hatred she felt emanating from the demon, coupled with that monster factor only a Grimm was known to have, elicited a quiet gasp from Ruby as the supernatural fear kicked in. She knew she had to banish this previously-unknown monstrosity back to where it came.

That's why she turned her Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle form and fired a bullet. The Harvester was quicker though, so the bullet missed it entirely. Ruby fired two more times with same results. The demon then shrieked and flew behind a pile of debris. She followed it, only to find out that it was gone.

" _What?! Where did it go?!_ "

Unknown to Ruby, the Harvester silently approached her from behind, raised one of its hands and released a yellow beam that hit Ruby in her back. She screamed in pain as her life force was slowly drained from her body. The only thing that saved her was her trusty sniper rifle. When she pulled the trigger, Crescent Rose kicked its user out from Harvester's range, towards a broken wall. It might have not been perfect, but at least it saved her from certain death.

The Harvester was gone again. Ruby stood up, panting and sweating as if she came out from a sauna. The tiredness she felt in her body was beginning to fade away as her Aura healed all of the damage dealt to her. She transformed Crescent Rose into its scythe form.

" _I must be careful! I could've died there!_ "

Gripping her weapon as tightly as she could, Ruby Rose tiptoed through the area, careful not to miss any suspicious movements or sounds. She never had that much fear when she fought the Grimm. The difference was painfully clear. A Grimm would mostly try to rip your throat with its teeth without any thought or strategy. This demon hurt her without actually touching her.

Hearing a pebble fall on the ground, Ruby quickly turned left and pointed her weapon at a small pillar. Unfortunately, the Harvester used her paranoia to come out from its hiding spot and to prepare its lethal attack. It had no idea that the outcome would be very different than expected.

Five tiny, red needles grew out of Ruby's back as the Harvester raised its hand. Said needles then shot themselves at the demon's hand and eye. Ruby, clueless about what was happening behind her, jumped when she heard a demonic cry of pain. She knew she had to act quickly, so she pulled Crescent Rose's trigger, using its recoil to spin around, swiping the demon's legs as she did so. With another swift movement, Ruby chopped the Harvester in half as it flew in mid-air.

"Hah… hah… I did it."

She congratulated herself for surviving her first close encounter with a demon, before thinking how she should find Braylon and help him out. She glanced at the Harvester's corpse. As it drowned in its red blood, Ruby wondered why would it go through all the trouble of hiding itself just to ruin it completely by giving away its position. She rationalized that it must have been a case of overconfidence in its ability to achieve victory. After all, that was no Grimm, but something way more sinister. Something she hoped would never again set foot on Remnant after the current crisis becomes a thing of the past.

* * *

If the Mancubus was tough, the Behemoth was tenfold.

No matter how much sniper rifle bullets Braylon pumped into its head, the demon refused to return to Hell. One bullet even popped an eye, yet it did nothing to stop it from trying to get closer to Braylon, who every now and then would put some distance between himself and it. If he still had the rocket launcher, it would have been way easier.

After he gouged out its eye, the Behemoth used its cannons to shield its head and chest, defending itself why still advancing. Braylon understood why the head, those bullets made its face even uglier than before with all the green blood that caked it entirely, but he was not sure why was there a need to defend the chest, until he realized that there was that yellow core. He could either try to destroy that, or he could blow up the demon with the Torgue shotgun. The latter was met with a heavy dose of skepticism. Its cannons were able to fire something disturbingly similar but in bigger quantities, so there was always the chance that he would get hurt. The Caustic Blaster would probably do good, but ammo was scarce. Everything else was out of the question.

Its endurance was also a problem. Rarely did someone survive twelve shots from a sniper rifle to the head. How much punishment could it take?

Ruby appeared some time later from the ruins. She looked at the surprised Braylon, then at the demon, then zipped towards it with the fervor of a kamikaze. Braylon's mind went blank. He couldn't even find words to warn her about the danger she just jumped into. If it decided to attack with its cannons, she would become nothing but a large red stain. He saw her sinking the scythe's blade into its hip before it managed to turn around, then heard a gun going off. Suddenly the blade came out, ripping the Behemoth's stomach open like a bag cut by a knife. Its grunt of pain (or annoyance?) was far louder than it had the right to be. As the stomach's contents began spilling all over the ground, the Behemoth turned sideways and aimed its cannons at Ruby, who backed off as fast as she reached the demon.

Braylon caught the opportunity to run up to it, switching the sniper rifle for his Torgue shotgun. He had three shots available before reloading. Each had to be used wisely, otherwise he would be fucked.

The Behemoth, hearing another set of footsteps, turned its head indecisively. When it found out that the approaching human was also the one that pumped so many bullets into its fat head, it grumbled in rage and turned around, mercilessly squishing its own flesh that fell from its body. They both took aim. Braylon fired first.

Blam!

Taking all sixteen gyrojet projectiles at such close distance was something even a corpulent demon couldn't do lightly. Sixteen synchronized mini-explosions forced the Behemoth to take two steps back, its skin rupturing in various places as a thick layer of blood tinged its blue skin green.

Click-clack.

Nothing was more satisfying at the moment than the sounds his shotgun produced with every action. It made him feel as if he had an actual chance to bring it down.

Blam!

The second shot ripped open its body like a ripe fruit. Some inner organs turned to mush. Many cybernetic implants hung loosely, connected only by thin strings of flesh. But the Behemoth still drew breath.

Click-clack.

"Die! Fucking die already!"

It took the third try to finish it off. The last group of gyrojet bullets exploded inside the meaty crater, ripping away flesh from the spinal column as the Behemtoh turned into pudding; a pile of remains that was as disgusting as the smell it emitted.

"Jesus Christ! I thought I'd never see the end of it!"

Ruby appeared next to him and began running her mouth, stopping only when Braylon blocked it with his hand.

"Little lady," he said, "do you have any idea how close you were to loosing your life because of that shitty stunt?" They looked each other in the eyes. She nodded slowly. "This is not a game of "let's see who kills more Grimm in an hour". This shit's fucked up. Really fucked up. You know how much bullets I shot into its face? Fucking twelve and it was still going. So, next time-"

"There won't be a next time, mortal."

(Metatron Omega - Transductio)

Braylon acquired a severe case of gooseflesh when he heard Tammuz speak. He immediately forgot about Ruby and began frantically searching the place with his eyes for any signs of the tall demon. Ruby was scared even more than him, as she lacked in knowledge about demons that Braylon possessed.

"B-Braylon..."

"Ruby? Prepare yourself."

He heard Ruby breathing faster as the supernatural fear began to have effect once again. He held her hand.

"Ruby? Ruby?" he made sure she heard him, "We can do it. I've got a plan."

"Plans are useless to a dead man, mortal."

Tammuz appeared in a bright green flash. The environment greeted its new master by becoming as twisted as when the demon was summoned to Remnant, thus expanding the area of corruption.

"His presence is so sickening that even the planet is suffering from it!" Braylon said to no one in particular.

"And why should that worry me?" Tammuz asked, perplexed by the stupidity of the mortal's comment.

"You'll have something to think about when we send you back to Hell!" Ruby looked at him as if he was insane. He knew what she was thinking and he couldn't blame her.

"Mortal..." Tammuz pointed a finger at him, "your suffering will be immeasurable."

Having said that, the demonic titan swiftly lifted its arm-cannon and fired a green energy beam. Braylon kicked Ruby away before strafing to a safe distance. The beam pierced through the earth, digging a fifty-meters-long tunnel into the planet.

"Holy…!"

"Bow down to my might, mortal!"

The demon moved its hand towards Braylon, squeezing the fingers to form a fist. Four large fireballs fell from the dark skies towards the Vault Hunter. Not even strafing backwards helped him against the explosive force that said fireballs released with their impact. Braylon went flying more than fifteen meters, crashing onto the warm red stone.

"No!"

Ruby fired several times with her Crescent Rose, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't see the bullets hitting Tammuz. The demon turned impassively to the girl in red.

"Why do you bother me with your existence?"

"Because I've sworn to myself that I will do whatever I can to protect my friends!"

"An oath you cannot keep, mortal."

Almost as if acting out of boredom, Tammuz fired three rockets from its arm-cannon, frowning when Ruby used her Semblance to avoid them all. Forming circles in the air with its index finger, the demon then summoned special runes that would always form below the target's feet before erupting into green flames six seconds later, like a magical mine of sorts. Even that wasn't enough to bring her down, due to her Semblance giving her an advantage of two seconds over the runes. Ruby would escape just before a rune could go off.

"Flea."

Tammuz hit the ground with its non-cybernetic hoof, cracking it for several miles, forming a complex web from which green fire erupted into five-meters-tall walls. Objects that stood too close to the walls caught fire, be they flesh or concrete or whatever. Soon a large portion of Mountain Glenn's landscape turned into a green conflagration, killing and destroying everything it touched. The Endermen, the Grimm, various animals native to Remnant (and those that weren't). They all succumbed to the power of Tammuz the Soulflayer.

Ruby, unaware of the tragedy that befell Mountain Glenn, stared at the cage that formed around her. The abnormal color of fire killed off every idea she could come up with regarding an escape. It told her that, should she dare touch it, even with just the tip of her finger, she would pay dearly the price. The voice inside her head screamed bloody murder. That was one of many factors that made her feel anxious and claustrophobic. Among them was also the thought about Braylon's whereabouts. Was he caught in the fire? Did he die? Will he end up like her teammates?

As if hearing her thoughts, the Vault Hunter appeared from one of the fiery walls, arms crossed in front of his head. Ruby was confused, then amazed, then horrified when she could get a better look at him. She couldn't see his face, which was hidden by a shadow, but she could see his soot-covered skin, his burns and his teeth clenched to forbid any noise from going out of his mouth.

"...Braylon?" she muttered quietly. He approached her, hugged her, then rushed into the fire, using his body as a shield, paying no mind to the sound of hoofsteps and metal scratching against the blood red stone.

* * *

It took an excruciating amount of time before they could pass through the last green wall. The moment they did, Braylon dropped Ruby and fell. The red leader of team Ruby began panicking and crying as her voice seemed to go unheard by the Vault Hunter. He lay there, unresponsive by any external stimuli. For a moment, a dark thought crossed Ruby's mind; Braylon gave his life to save her.

Did the gods curse her or something? The horrible awakening, finding the soulless husks of her teammates and now a heroic sacrifice meant to save her. What did I do to deserve this, Ruby thought. She wanted to give up, to throw in the towel. There was no point in doing anything if it meant loosing someone she cared about in return. Braylon was dead. The souls of her teammates were most likely lost forever. Why was she the one left alive? Who could enjoy torturing her like this?

 **Mental recording completed.** **File stored under section 11A66U. Beginning replay.**

Ruby's dark train of thought had received a slight derailment when she heard a robotic voice coming from Braylon's device, although she wasn't sure why. Perhaps she was thankful for that one tiny drop of hope and now clung to it fanatically. That word salad probably contained something that would solve all of her problems, right? Well, Ruby liked to think so.

"Hey Red, it's Braylon."

Being the fifteen-year-old that she was, Ruby blinked multiple times when the robotic voice was replaced with Braylon's. She hoped that the PDA would reveal some precious information, like where to find a super cool weapon that would save them all or such, so she was rather disappointed to hear Braylon's last words. Of course, she shamed herself for thinking that way and quickly erased any similar thoughts from her mind. She had to focus. Maybe the message carried a last wish before leaving forever?

"I'm recording this while we're going through this fucking fire. Words cannot describe the pain that shoots through my body as I keep touching that thing. I apologize in advance for my inability to speak right now, but I'm kinda occupied with resisting the urge to relax my legs and fall down. And no, I'm not dead. I hope."

Ruby smiled weakly, tears forming in her eyes.

"That's not the point. What I want you to do is simple, but suicidal. Ruby Rose, I need to ask a favor, as a… ugh… as a friend. Will you help me?"

She nodded, knowing that her answer was irrelevant for the moment.

"Please, bring me back to the camp we left behind. There is a weapon that should be powerful enough to kill that giant fuckface. I believe we can use it to win this fight and stop the invasion. I know what I'm asking for and I know that there might be a possibility that it will fail. But… if I can't do it, you can. In case I don't wake up, the PDA will download to your Scroll every important bit of information you need to know. I beg you to do this, Rose. Not just for us, but for Remnant."

 **End of the recording.**

Ruby's heart thumped in her chest. She couldn't believe a word of what she heard. There was a way to defeat that big baddie? And it was in that Hell-on-Remnant place she wished to forget? And, if Braylon didn't wake up, she would have to use it? Ruby felt like being a part of a movie, felt like someone was pulling her leg. Nevertheless, a favor was a favor and, despite everything, she was still an optimist. She touched Braylon and departed with her Semblance.

* * *

So the duo returned to the camp. And so did the demon.

The task proved to be harder to accomplish than Ruby had thought. Ruby had never used her Semblance so much in one day, especially not for traveling over great distances. She had to stop twice to catch her breath. The demon didn't appear during those times, yet she could feel its terrifying presence coming closer. That was a big, if not the biggest, motivator for Ruby to keep going.

Now she and Braylon were back at the camp, unchanged from the last time they were there. She felt like they were one step closer to victory. After putting Braylon down, Ruby sat and put her ear on his chest. There were heartbeats, weak, but still present. That put a smile on her face, now knowing that he really wasn't dead.

"Your defiance will be your undoing."

The smile faded instantly once she heard the dreadful voice of Tammuz the Soulflayer. Slowly, she spun around and met the incarnation of everything bad she could come up with standing some hundred meters away.

" _I-I didn't even hear him..._ "

"You cannot escape from me, Ruby Rose. I will find you even if you go to another reality. My power is great, my will is strong, and my thirst for revenge has yet to be pleased."

" _What d-do I do now?! I can't defeat him like this!_ "

"Crawl on your knees and beg for my favor."

"Never!" Ruby gathered all of her bravery to shout that out loud. She stood in front of Braylon, trying to protect him, although she was sure she wouldn't be able to even protect herself if the demon decided to attack.

"Then I will grind your bones to dust, fool. If it is battle you want, you will have it."

It was clear that the gigantic demon was enjoying the misery Ruby felt once she realized just how big was the power discrepancy between them. She fell on her knees, utterly horrified by the pure, raw strength Tammuz emitted with each hoofstep, the strength that violated every fiber of her being with thoughts about the impending doom that loomed over their heads.

Until...

"That's enough, Tammuz."

Both Ruby and Tammuz turned their head towards the newest voice that joined them. Ruby's eyes widened when she saw the stranger, standing with his hands behind his back and the same expressionless face he always wore. It felt like they were in the middle of a really weird Mexican standoff. Ruby had no idea how true that observations was.

"You..." the demon trailed off, not trying to hide disgust.

"I bring a message from our Father."

"And what does Anathema have to say?"

The man talked, "Many ages have passed since you and your brothers fell from Heaven like lightning, striking the earth you so despised. In my heart, I held hope that one day you would realize how wrong you were in your judgment of mortalkind. But rather than admitting your sins and asking for redemption, you all believed in the lies told by the one that caused your fall, and so you started your petty quest for what you believed to be injustice. You even christened yourselves with new names, hoping to erase your history that is clearly written on my palms, just to spite me. I saw your skirmishes, your schemes, your attempts to destroy what mortals have built. In return, I created heroes, protectors of their kin. I allowed it to happen, so that your nature could never be hidden, for mortals to understand who is their true enemy. When you began to comprehend how powerless you were to finish what your corrupted hearts wanted, some of you decided to take newer, more blasphemous, approaches. After you and several of your brothers caused the destruction of entire mortal races, I decided that none of you would be spared of the punishment, so I threw all of you into the Lake of Fire, where your hatred for all living things could be returned back at you. Since then I became deaf to your pleas, I turned my eyes away from your suffering. It was only after you started your invasions that I came to the conclusion that none of you could be saved anymore, so I gave my blessing to one mortal, gave him the power to hurt your kind. And those that tasted the bite of his sword called him the Doom Slayer."

Ruby listened carefully the whole message, making sure to absorb every bit of information. The entire story was delivered in a way that intrigued her. She wasn't the curious type, the one that would stuck its nose into anything, yet she felt like she was sitting near a campfire and listening to an epic spoken by a wandering artist, one who felt the need to retell the story to anyone willing to listen. She would definitely share it with Braylon later.

"Your time has now come. My patience has run low. You cast aside a helping hand in favor for a hideous union of flesh and metal. Now it is time to reap what you have sown."

Suddenly, a blue light carved a hole through the inky black skies, illuminating a screaming Tammuz. The phenomenon lasted for less than a minute, then everything returned as it was before. Its face turned into a horrified scowl as it stared at its body. It was unnerving how a previously prideful and confident monster turned into a cowardly weakling in such an astonishing amount of time.

"No! Nooooo! What is happening to me?!"

"I give and I take. As I gave you immortality, and the powers that went with it, so I am taking it all away. If you are unable to appreciate such a gift, you do not deserve to have it."

"M-my immortality?!"

"Indeed. You are now trapped in the very construct you wished to turn into your avatar. It is time to break your haughtiness. The mortal boy in front of you will bring your death. My will be done."

"Him?! That little worm?! The one who gave us the opportunity to escape!? How dare you insult Tammuz the Soulflayer?!" it howled, walking towards the unconscious boy and the scared girl, "Maybe I lost my powers, but I can still crush them with my legs!"

"To think so demonstrates the emptiness of your threats."

"To think otherwise seals their fate!"

All Ruby could see was the metallic hoof coming down on her.

* * *

 _"Ah…_ _are these my dreams again?"_

 _"You lost your consciousness from the pain you received."_

 _"Hmph. Explains why everything is so white."_

 _"Listen, Human. Remnant needs you. Right now."_

 _"Needs me?"_

 _"Yes. Your time to shine has finally come."_

 _"My…_ _time to shine?"_

 _"Help… please help… Braylon, Yang… somebody help..."_

 _"Ruby? Ruby?! Where are you?!"_

 _"...I can't do this alone..."_

 _"Where is she?!"_

 _"Right beside you. She tried to protect you all this time."_

 _"Is she in danger?!"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Is it Tammuz?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"Then I need to go back."_

 _"Your strength alone won't be enough to defeat him. However..."_

 _"Is that… the ring?"_

 _"Yes. Yes it is."_

 _"I… don't remember it being so… shiny."_

 _"Braylon Monocriffe."_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Are you ready to accept the fate of this reality on your shoulders? Can you hold such a heavy cross until the end? Are you willing to fight the fallen ones and stop their evil schemes that threaten to destroy everything?"_

 _"...One question. Will I… after this… ever have a normal life?"_

 _"No. If you choose the path of perpetual torment, you will need to prepare yourself for the worst possibilities that may come in your life. If you choose so, you willingly subject yourself to the full power and danger of the evil forces. You will fight them, go against them with everything you have, while never expecting to be thanked or accepted by anyone,_

 _no matter the scale of your deeds_ _. Those who do accept you, however, will be your closest allies, as will be the entirety of Heaven's might. So once again, are you ready to accept such a cross?"_

 _"...Yes."_

 _"_ _Then take this right. Let it be your light that shines in the darkness. Use it as a weapon against evil, both mortal and otherwise."_

 _"Alright."_

 _"...Braylon?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"...I am proud to be your guardian. Now go, brave warrior."_

* * *

One of those childish thoughts came to her. If she closed her eyes, maybe death would be less painful to her. Accepting defeat was the only way, she could feel it. The only wish she had before departing was to see her family once again. She knew that wish would not be granted. It was then, with a tear in her eye, that Ruby Rose said goodbye to the world of Remnant.

" _I love you, mum._ "

Any minute now. That leg would squash her and Braylon, killing them. It was, to her, the most painless way to go. She was really tired of it all. Her brain had seen too much to allow itself to keep its existence. This was something that went beyond her current skills as a Huntress-in-training. She heard a sound. Something hitting metal. Was that it? Did she die? She had to see it for herself.

Ruby opened her eyes and gasped.

"...Braylon?"

(Digimon OST – Brave Heart)

And in that moment, the fear of the supernatural was washed away, succeeded by a spark of hope that filled her soul with awe, for Braylon Monocriffe held the robotic hoof with his bare hands, a golden ring adorning one of his fingers.

"What?!"

Even the demon was stunned by the turn of events, unable to process mentally what just happened. Braylon slowly lifted the leg, then pushed it forward. Tammuz had to take several steps back to avoid falling on its behind. Braylon picked up Ruby and strafed three times backwards. Said girl wanted to see his face, mouth hanging open in pure surprise, but it was hidden by shadows. Braylon wordlessly put her down.

"Wait, that ring…!" Tammuz barked, "When did he…?! No! Has Anathema gone insane?! I won't allow the birth of another Doom Slayer!"

It lifted its cannon and fired three rockets. Braylon materialized Holo Sabre, ran forward, and sliced each rocket in half, which exploded to his sides. Tammuz's eyes turned into saucers.

"You dare humiliate me!"

Braylon silently rushed towards its robotic leg, switching Sabre for Ripper after the former cut a hole through the thick layer of metal. Doing so, the Vault Hunter damaged several key components that disabled the cybernetic leg, making it worthless. Tammuz screamed in rage as it bent slightly, trying to hit the human with its metallic cannon. It never expected that said human would reach the cannon by using the leg it just destroyed for a jump. The Holo Sabre and Holo Ripper combination was used once again, damaging the weapon beyond repair.

One would think that was enough, but not Braylon. With the agility, and swiftness, of a feline, the Vault Hunter reached Tammuz's right eye...

"Uppercut Overdrive!"

...And popped it like a really nasty pimple, covering the demon's face and himself with blood. The fist he used for the attack received a layer of golden electric current emitted from the ring.

"Raaaargh! Damn you!"

In the distance, Braylon could see the tent with the VEKTOR. Smiling, he leaped from the towering monster and ran towards the vehicle. Once inside, he reached the console and used his PDA to turn on the engine. Vektor began moving towards Tammuz. The stranger took Ruby to a safe distance, as if he knew what was going to happen.

With a fury that could fuel thousands of stars, Tammuz spun around, intrigued by the sudden roar of a machine previously unknown. It took half a second to connect the dots when it saw the approaching Vektor.

"Mortal! Death will claim you before your scheme is completed!"

Braylon could see it limping towards VEKTOR on one of the screens. He tapped buttons furiously. When he found the option to charge the cannons, he decided to use them to their full potential. For even extra power, he used the PDA to hack into the security systems, thus granting him the ability to load those cannons with power beyond a hundred percent. He ignored the warnings that told him how there was a risk of the entire vehicle not only shutting down afterwards but also becoming a safety hazard for the crew.

" _Two minutes until fireworks. More than enough._ "

The VEKTOR stopped moving. Braylon went outside and towards Tammuz. Sliding between its legs, he climbed up until he reached the metallic spine. Using the Maliwan Blaster, he began shooting at said spine.

"What are you doing to me, fool?!"

He had what he wanted. With the metallic spine severely corroded, Tammuz lost its connection to the lower body, meaning it couldn't walk anymore. It was doomed to stand in front of the charging cannons, whom began shaking violently as the noise they produced increased in volume with every minute. Without a single world leaving his mouth, Braylon ran away, aided by the stranger.

"You can't defeat Tammuz! You are challenging a god!"

The cannons were unleashed, finally unable to contain all the energy stored in them. A gargantuan ray of bluish-white energy hit Tammuz, enveloped him, then went for miles and miles, obliterating anything it touched; from forests, to mountains, to Grimm and wildlife, stopping somewhere in the big ocean that divided the continents of Sanus and Anima, bright enough to be seen from Remnant's moon.

Mountain Glenn shook with the power of ten earthquakes put together. Its foundations crumbled, unable to contain the pressure, burying most of its tunnels and sinking a good portion of the city into the ground. That day, a new landmark formed in the abandoned settlement; a gargantuan wound in the earth itself, thick with ruins, dangers and death.

And everything happened in just ten minutes. Ten long, painful minutes.

When it was finally over, the sun could be seen again, free from the darkness that hid its light. The corruption that turned Mountain Glenn uglier was still present, although the fleshy bits decayed and the blood red stone lost some of its coloration. The camp became a crater, although the stranger kept his promise and put the innocent, including members of team RWBY and their weapons, to safety beforehand. Little remained of what was once known as Tammuz the Soulflayer. The only proof it ever existed were its blood-soaked hooves.

* * *

"Congratulations, Vault Hunter." the stranger said afterwards, "Not only did you save this reality, you also instilled fear into the hearts of demons. It may take them a while to understand it, but rest assured that your actions today will be written in the pages of history."

"Thanks."

Ruby looked at Braylon. It was mind-boggling how he was able to remain calm after what happened. She, on the other hand, was so excited that she squealed in joy, hugged Braylon several times, and even went so far as to perform a victory dance or two. Celebrations were short-lived, however, as Braylon turned to her and began talking.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble Ruby, but your teammates..."

She knew what he meant. Her optimism and positivity died down a little. Not enough to stop believing that they couldn't save Yang, Weiss and Blake. He didn't finish his sentence, turning around and walking away instead.

"W-where are you going, Braylon?"

"I made this mess and it's my duty to clean it up. This is a thing I have to do alone. No more involving you or anyone else."

"You made it? I don't understand..."

"Ruby," he spun around, grinning, "I promise I will bring back the souls of your teammates. A Vault Hunter always keeps his promises, even if demons are involved."

She felt a hand touching her shoulder. It was the stranger. They watched him tapping something on his PDA. Apparently he called the Atlas military to clear the mess and quarantine the entire settlement, before more people loose their lives.

"Have faith, child with silver eyes. You saw what he was capable of."

"Yes, but… I hope he returns safely."

The stranger remained silent, his stoic expression hiding his thoughts.

* * *

Thaddeus fell into his chair, eyes wide and skin pale. His brain was unable to process further information, so it started malfunctioning. His heart felt like it pumped more air than blood. The Vault Hunter has achieved the impossible.

"Tammuz… he fell..." he muttered multiple times.

Meanwhile, the other person that shared the room with him giggled like a child with a secret. If his legs weren't all jelly-like, Thaddeus would have wiped the floor with him.

"So, the great Tammuz is really gone for good. I was hoping it would happen, if I'm allowed to be honest. Never really liked his egomania."

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…" Thaddeus grabbed his head in horror. "I'm fucked. I'm so fucked."

The masked individual turned to him, amused by the general's despair.

"Something wrong, general?"

"He just iced a fucking demon!" he screeched in an unusually high-pitched voice, "A fuckin' seventeen-year-old snot just won against a fuckin' demon! What the fuck!"

Thaddeus jumped from his seat, went to the nearest console and punched it with his fist. He then slowly raised his head, as if he realized something.

"He's… he's going to come… for the souls."

"Perceptive as always. Hehehehe."

"Why the fuck did your pal bring those here?! We're so dead!"

"It was all part of the plan."

"Say what?! Did you hear me?! He's gonna kill us all now! Tammuz was the only line of defense we had on the field! Now that's gone! Gone! What's stopping him from coming here?!"

"All part of the plan, my dear general."

"What?"

"One must loose a battle to win a war. Remember?"

"What're you talking about?"

"My word, do I have to spell it out for you? You must crack a few eggs to make an omelette, or so the saying goes."

"That shitshow wasn't enough?"

"Few eggs, general."

"...Wait, you don't mean..."

"Exactly."

"You can't be serious! This wasn't in the bargain!"

"Those wretches who betray their own kind deserve no sympathy. And treachery resides in all living things."

"I won't let my men die, you-"

"They can always evacuate this pitiful tin can. Sadly, you included them in our bargain, so that option was gone from the beginning."

"You lying son of a-"

"Where exactly was the lie hidden? You said you wanted to return home, to escape from this reality, along with your dutiful minions. And what better way of escaping than death? Let this place be your eternal coffin, my dear general, created by the mortal you wished to kill."

"This can't be happening! It can't! It can't!"

"If you don't want to suffer by the hands of the Vault Hunter, you can always take the cowardly way out. You have nothing left to care about, after all. You sold your souls, you gambled away the trust your men put into you, your family will suffer the wrath of Hell back in your home reality. Is there any justification for the prolongation of your life? I thought so. Hahahahaha!"

Thaddeus fell on his knees, his entire world crashing down on him. He just realized what kind of mistake he did and how the price was something he could never afford to pay. The end justified the means, right? Well, what was the point of that if the end he wanted would never come to fruition? Now his men would be slaughtered by one angry beast of a Vault Hunter. What was the point of it all? If only the haunting laughter of masked man could stop for a moment. It began hurting his brain.

* * *

 **The moment has come! Now the real fun can begin! Like I said, starting from this new arc, everything from this point onward was actually meant to be in my previous story, though now it will be reshaped to suit the current fic** **'** **s needs. What can you expect from this arc I talked so much about? Brutal action, with horror and adventure themes to avoid making you die of boredom. Even I think that fourteen** **(or twelve? I really don** **'** **t fucking know anymore)** **chapters of non-fucking-stop action with violence-** **oriented music is a bit too much, so I will break it down into fragments. Action-action-action-horror-action-action and so on.**

 **What else can you expect? Tons of new guns and enemies. More music. Sometimes long, sometimes short chapters, brutal deaths and much more. Volume two will end with this arc.**

 **From what I was able to plan out and write down, Volume three will probably be shorter than Volume two. Everything** **'** **s still muddy right now, but I think that the next Volume** **will be more about fillers than action. It should also set everything for Volume 4, where the fic will leave Remnant for a journey to other realities. But until then, it** **'** **s all just one big session of brainstorming. I** **'** **m more worried about this fucking arc than everything else. It was literally the first idea that I came up with when I decided to abandon the last fic. I wanted to bang my head against a wall when I realized I had to do it all over again. But now I see it fully paid off. I** **'** **m really happy with how the fic turned out until now.**

 **Just because I like to tease,** **I** **'** **ll post the title of the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Elevator to Hell**

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Item:**

 **Seraphim's Seal**

\- **"Born in the forges of Heaven."** (negates any negative buff from cursed/Hell items as well as the demonic ability to hurt the soul of the user (Aetherial-based attacks can still do damage))

\- Yellow/Blessed Eldritch artifact

 **-** Holy Overdrive: the user can perform a devastating melee attack on the enemy (must be from the Legions of Hell faction, the user must kill five enemies from Legions of Hell faction in order to activate and use this effect)

\- Exorcism: blocks negative buffs on Possessed enemies or on the user, depending on the choice (can be used instead of Holy Overdrive)

\- executed enemies replenish Health and ammunition

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 **Entry #117:** Tammuz

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _I haven_ _'_ _t heard this name for a long time, Human. Now that I do, I am genuinely disgusted by it. Originally a brother among many, this hellion became known among mortal races, including yours, as a deity of_ _shepherds or agriculture. His partner was Inanna, one of their toys used for similar purposes, now dead by your hand. He usually enjoyed appearing in front of mortals and perform "miracles", which is how he earned such_ _a_ _blasphemous title. Later on, the fame he acquired got into his head and he really believed he was a deity. A deity was the ultimate power in the hierarchy that forms the entire creation, he thought, so it was only natural that a d_ _ei_ _ty should do as it pleases with mortals. One day, he performed the same tricks he usually did to a race of mortals that expanded its civilization to all three hospitable planets in its solar system. This time, however, Tammuz decided that mere adoration wasn_ _'_ _t enough. He wanted a sacrifice in the form of food or animals. But even that became boring to him, so he came up with the idea that would later be one of the reasons for their eternal damnation. He explained how he, as the race_ _'_ _s god, would bring them to a place where happiness was infinite and where everyone could be wealthy if they so desired, but he required each individual_ _'_ _s life as a sacrifice in return. By then the cult numbered in millions of followers, who killed off all other nonbelievers before killing themselves. Father saw this and, enraged, cursed both Tammuz and the entire cult to suffer for eternity in the Lake of Fire. Even other demons hated him for what he had done, because he did so without warning them, which,_ _ironically,_ _made most of their even more horrifying plans_ _unusable._ "

* * *

** **Entry #118:** Behemoth

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** _"_ _Behemoths are Mancubi that feed on the Condemned. Every once in a while a Mancubus, due to lack of anything edible, will hunt down mortal souls in an attempt to satiate its hunger. However, it soon becomes addicted to the taste, so its entire diet drastically begins to revolve around the consumption of souls. This also affects the Mancubus_ _'_ _s powers, to the point that even the physical manifestation deviates from "normal". All in all, the Behemoths carry both the strength of the Mancubi and the wickedness of the Condemned. As such, be sure to leave none alive."_

* * *

*** **Entry #119:** Duke of Hell

 **Type:** Demon – Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _At one point in time, my fallen brothers began suffering heavy casualties due Doom Slayer_ _'_ _s crusades against Hell. Since my brothers are beings unlike mortals, their existence stops with their deaths. Despite some of them being able to resurrect physical bodies, they cannot bring back the brothers themselves, if said brothers are killed and not just banished back to the Underworld. Among those referred to as "Arch-Viles", a specific caste named "Infernalists" developed a special spell that not only resurrected the bodies, but also infused them with the energies that permeate the Underworld, making them stronger than before. For this reason, the Dukes of Hell is now a tribe of its own; composed of nothing but corpses of dead Barons._ " (Deals bonus Shock damage, immune to Shock-based attacks)

* * *

 ******Entry #120:** Harvester

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _It is in angel_ _'_ _s nature to worship Father, Human._ _Sadly, that drive still remained in some of my brothers when they fell during the First Age. Like everything else connected to them, that drive became perverted over time, so they began forming a cult that, to this day, worships the one that brought to them nothing but condemnation, now known as the Dark Lord of the Fourth Age. The Harvesters are members of that cult. Their task is to kill mortals by using the life force emitted from their souls as a weapon. If a mortal doesn_ _'_ _t succumb to his spiritual injuries, it will be attacked by a secondary power, one that allows the Harvesters to channel the life force into devastating energy bombs. That is their role on the battlefield, however. The other reason why they are called Harvesters is because their primary goal is to "harvest" as much mortal souls they can, by any means necessary, and turn them into Condemned. After acquiring a certain amount, they ascend in the ranks of the cult. But should they be defeated by a mortal, they return back to being Harvesters. This is often the biggest reason why Harvesters keep doing their endless jobs._ " (drains Health at close range, energy bomb attack deals bonus Aetherial damage)


	40. Elevator to Hell

The camp that was left behind was obviously far too small to be the main Dahl headquarters. There was a feeling that something much bigger awaited somewhere nearby, something that could truly be called the main base. The official narrative was that Dahl established a foothold somewhere in the kingdom of Atlas. That was bullshit of course, a story to keep the masses lulled in their false sense of security. Braylon's PDA was the living proof of that.

Right after the battle with Tammuz, the Vault Hunter used his PDA to hunt down every signal, every clue of Dahl's presence on Sanus. There was no such thing as perfect camouflage. Braylon believed they knew it too, just as they knew that he would find them and take their lives. With a few taps on the screen, his trusty device displayed a map of the continent with several blue and orange dots scattered all over it. The tiny blue dots were civilian radio stations while the slightly bigger counterparts were either military or other non-civilian stations. But neither of those mattered, for there was only one station that caught his attention. It was red, with a pentagram instead of a dot.

Oh, it was anomalous alright. Whooping 666 GHz. Even the PDA's owner doubted its ability to pick up such a frequency, thinking that it was forcefully picked up by powers unseen. It even asked its user if he would like to hear it, just like flipping through channels on a TV. Braylon had no idea if he would even hear anything, but he decided to let the joke slide. If anything else, it would give him a reminder of who his enemy was as he tracked down the source; which turned out to be somewhere outside of Mountain Glenn, in the forests that surrounded it.

Nothing at first, not even the irritating buzz known to many radio afficionados. After the eighteen-minute mark, Braylon began hearing some kind of wind coming from the speakers, something akin to a tornado or a brutal storm. Thirty minutes in; a chorus of voices was heard screaming and begging, barely audible due to the powerful wind. At fifty minutes, when Braylon was one kilometer away from the source, the voices doubled, then tripled, then became louder while mixing with inhuman growls that could be demonic as well as alien in nature. To a mortal ear, it felt like it didn't really come from the speakers, but from the environment, as if they were in whatever place those noises came from. Braylon decided to stop listening. It hurt his ears.

" _Holy mother of God._ "

(Ratchet and Clank 2 – Yeedil: Protopet Factory)

It was an understandable reaction after seeing what the source actually was; a gigantic spacecraft sticking out from the earth, bearing both the Dahl logo and that company's favorite colors. It didn't crash, there was no crater, but instead it looked like it… appeared from thin air, like it teleported that way to Remnant. He only saw the ugly end of it, the part with thrusters and engines. The rest was buried underground, surrounded by wilderness where no local would dare to travel no matter how experienced they were. It sounded… eerily convenient. That could explain why there were demonic forces between Dahl's ranks.

" _Fuck. It's Lost Legion all over again._ "

If there was such a thing as Lady Luck, Braylon probably met her because there were no soldiers or defensive perimeters surrounding the tower of metal he was about to climb. The plan was simple, but effective. All he had to do for now was to infiltrate into the spaceship without drawing too much attention. The Holo Claw helped him reach the engines, which already began growing moss and turning rusty. The tunnel-sized holes were dark, as Braylon wanted them to be. Using Holo Sabre, he carved his way to the first room available to him, the "main generators", then used them again to slide into the air ducts while avoiding the annoying cameras that repetitively searched for intruders.

The PDA helped Braylon going through the ventilation system until he reached the "Control Room", where most of the spacecraft's security, doors and other things could be manipulated to suit his needs. He barged into the room from the duct, then killed the soldier -guard to avoid blowing his cover. There was still a reason to believe that they were completely clueless about his whereabouts.

When he checked the monitors of several cameras, he found out that they were, in fact, expecting him, just not in the way he thought they would. Apparently someone thought that Braylon would climb his way to the metallic door, the one that was visible from the outside, yet high and required at least half an hour of effort to reach it. He would then go to this specific hallway only to be met with a wall of guns, turrets and impenetrable metallic fences, where he would meet his end. They never believed he would actually go through the engines.

Braylon had to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. They were prepared, exceptionally so, as evidenced by several Marines pointing their guns at the door as if their lives depended on it, yet they would never imagine their boogeyman setting up a rather nasty surprise. The PDA came to aid its master once again, this time with hacking the security systems of the spaceship to eliminate everything that wasn't the wearer of the miracle-turned-device. Their own nest would become their coffin.

As soon as the order was given, every alarm in the DBS Cygnus turned red and began wailing, startling quite a few Marines. Turrets rose from walls and ceilings, blasting their targets with lasers of various colors. Catwalks and hallways became ovens or poured acid or even shocked anything that was of flesh and bone. Spider robots would sneak out from holes and attach themselves to unsuspecting Marines before detonating, painting everything in red. Not even minutes later, after the body count went somewhere close to a hundred and ninety-six victims, general Thaddeus decided to speak to his minions through a radio Braylon picked up. There was no way he was going to miss whatever the dear general had to say.

"Attention all soldiers! General Thaddeus Wilson speaking. The enemy infiltrated into our base like a snake and now is using our own defensive measures against us. I'm blocking them all from the command center. Know that you are our last line of defense against this threat. Should we fail, who knows what will happen to our reality. We may have suffered losses, but let's show him that we are unbreakable, no matter how many of us die! Go, Space Marines, forward! Towards victory!"

The fucking nerve of that asshole, Braylon thought. Wilson's pep talk was the last thing he expected to hear. Not only did he tell them to go to their deaths, he actually accused Braylon of everything bad that could happen to their reality. That alone made Braylon so furious that he decided to make a slight deviation towards the command center just to bash the general's head open, before going to the armory and pick up his weapons that were most likely stashed in a data chip. Any dickhead dumb enough to stand in his way would wish they never encountered him.

Storming out of the control room, he reached the mega-elevator, a type of elevator that could go in all directions depending on the need. Once inside, he found a small console that displayed all important locations of DBS Cygnus as well as lines that connected them together, which were actually the routes for the mega-elevator to follow. He set the destination to command center, then began preparing for whatever they would throw at him.

* * *

(Doom: Back to Saturn X E1 – Drilling by Night)

With the Hyperion SMG in hand, it became easy to rush out from the mega-elevator and into the T-shaped intersection, shooting at the two heavily-wounded Dahl Marines that came into view as swiftly as possible. The entire tunnel was littered with corpses.

Braylon reloaded and went into the first room on his left, where a Juggernaut Marine ambushed him. The Marine lifted him up and threw him at the wall. Before he could come closer, Braylon materialized the Maliwan Blaster and shot a dozen short, green lasers at the Juggernaut's center mass. The Marine screamed in pain as the armor melted away, some of it dropping on his skin. A second short burst liquefied his vital organs. It was a rather painful way to go.

More feet could be heard hitting the metallic grids that made the floor of the intersection. There was no way to know how many, so he materialized the Torgue Shotgun and started camping right beside the door. But rather than going into the room and falling into his trap, the soldiers went for the mega-elevator. Braylon waited a bit longer, then went out into the hallway where he encountered a second group of soldiers going towards him. When they spotted him, the let out a collective cry of surprise and immediately retreated back to the walls. The group consisted of one Combat Engineer, who brought out a turret, and two Space Marines with Jakobs rifles.

It was a perfect situation for a test.

Combining the newest grenade mod to a grenade, Braylon materialized a metallic bee hive that had four buttons on its surface; red, blue, green and yellow. As soon as the Marines stopped firing, he threw it in their direction. The bee hive exploded, releasing countless tiny, bee-resembling drones. Because Braylon didn't press any button on the bee hive before throwing it, the attack mode of the drones was chosen randomly. The little visor of each drone flared green as the big swarm split into three smaller ones which assaulted their targets. Because of their tiny size, the drones easily infiltrated inside each armor, injecting some flesh-eating bacteria through their stingers that had the similar effect of dropping a piece of meat into a pool of acid, with the exception that, after the drones were done with their work, only bones and armor remained of the Marines.

Genuinely impressed by the results, Braylon advanced forward, picking up a random corpse to use as a meat shield. He went right first, where he ended up in empty bathrooms. He then decided to go in the opposite direction, where a Juggernaut Marine waited for him in front of the door with a Tediore rocket launcher.

Even if it was Tediore, a name known for making weapons of abysmal quality, the Vault Hunter refused to let go of his meat shield, scared. If the Juggernaut decided to toss the rocket launcher, a maneuver that was way more effective than the rockets themselves, he would be fucked.

The Marine, being massive and strong, held the weapon at his right hip, and fired. The rocket struck the corpse, turning everything below the chest into fine red paste. Braylon roared, threw it and the shotgun aside, then leaped at the Juggernaut with Holo Sabre. He cut the rocket launcher in half, then stabbed the Marine in the stomach. The Juggernaut grunted painfully, raising a fist meant to punch Braylon's face in, who in turn moved the holographic blade diagonally, cutting the Marine in two unequal pieces.

Braylon grabbed the shotgun, walked through the door and up the stairs. He shot a Combat Engineer who, unlucky as he was, decided to show himself at the top of the staircase in the worst possible timing. We will never know if the Engineer felt any pain as every inch of his body simultaneously went kaboom. Truly, "Torgue makes things explode" was a perfectly accurate sales pitch for the brand.

Next stop was a waiting room shaped to resemble a small park, complete with flowers and trees. Due to the artificial gravity of the spaceship, no plant was left out of its vase or thrown in some corner as a result of the harsh landing. There were two doors available; to the left and to the opposite side of the room, heavily guarded by a handful of Marines, those that weren't slowly-decaying bodies scattered all over the place. They were a hint for where he should go.

The Vault Hunter shot a Dahl Marine who waited for him to reach the top of the stairs, then shot his comrade who was crouching behind a nearby bench. Switching for the sniper rifle, he picked off a Combat Engineer who was hiding behind a tree by shooting the said tree. Next was a Marine with a jet pack, who just so happened to fall in front of Braylon's line of sight.

Yet another Juggernaut decided to test his luck by challenging Braylon, only this one was smart enough to carry some kind of bullet-proof shield along with a Jakobs grenade launcher. Bullet-proof, not laser-proof. Braylon materialized the Blaster while running behind the nearest tree to avoid the grenades. It took two short bursts to pierce the shield and hit its owner, who began screaming. While he was busy removing the armor to avoid further body damage, Braylon used Holo Ripper to chop down the tree, which he kicked it towards the Juggernaut. Instant death.

Passing by several dead bodies, our hero failed to notice one of them rising up and shooting him in the back with a Dahl pistol. Braylon stopped walking, head lowered. If only the man didn't wear a helmet. We would be able to see horror creeping up on his face as the soldier slowly realized what he had just done and how he would pay dearly for it. Braylon turned around, several veins popping from his forehead and face, which was twisted in a way to show the utter disgust and hatred for the coward, as if he stared at living garbage and not at a human being. Unable to endure the psychological pressure, the soldier pointed the pistol at his head and shot himself.

" _Every fucking time._ "

Only three people remained at the makeshift outpost in front of the door that led to the general. Two of them dropped their weapons and tried to run, but they were gunned down by Braylon with his Hyperion SMG. The third also dropped his gun, choosing to stand still and beg for his life.

"I-I surrender. Please, spare my life, Vault Hunter."

"You've got balls, asking me to be so merciful as to ignore your presence." replied Braylon as he jumped over the tiny metallic wall and reached the Marine. "You summon demons, you kill civilians, you try to kill me. And I'm supposed to get over it all?"

"P-please. I wanted to stop them… I-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!"

Braylon kicked the Marine down, then grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. When he removed the helmet, he was shocked to see the young face that was hidden behind it. Whoever he was, that person looked young, barely twenty years old at best. He had that terrified face that only recruits on their first real missions could have. But that wasn't what disgusted Braylon, it was the fact that he was about to kill someone so young. And now, after seeing that young face, Braylon's mind went into a territory he wished it didn't; where the thoughts went back to all the corpses that lay on his path. How many of them were like the one in front of him?

He released the Marine.

"Go. Run before I change my mind. I'll let someone else judge you for me."

The door led to a staircase, which itself led to two more doors. Above the one in front of him lay a neon blue sign which read "COMMAND CENTER". The door to the right was actually the mega-elevator, as the second sign told him. On the wall to the left hung a large screen. It displayed a map of the DBS Cygnus, where Braylon was able to see each section of the spaceship along with all other important information like, for example, the current state of the generators or whether or not some areas are accessible. Braylon gave it a look before entering into the command center in front of him.

* * *

Specialist Winter Schnee didn't like one bit of her current mission; to investigate Mountain Glenn and retrieve all survivors she can find. It was given to her directly from general Ironwood, who received a message while speaking with a high-ranking member of the army in green. Truth to be told, Winter never liked them. She always thought that something was off, that their real reasons for helping Atlas military were deeper than anything they came up with. They even offered technology in exchange for making some information top secret and off-limits to the public. Her suspicions were strengthened when, after the general read the message, he immediately ordered to capture all present members of the Dahl military and send them to prison until further notice.

And now she was flying above the wretched settlement that took so many lives back in the day. She had no idea what happened, but Mountain Glenn was far different from what she remembered. The changes that occurred there were breathtaking, and not in a good way. More than a handful of soldiers were rather unwilling to go outside of their Bullheads. Some even became paranoid, thinking that Grimm would crawl out from everywhere and devour them before they got a chance to fight back. Luckily, Winter was there to serve as a strict authority figure. Discipline mattered the most in such situations.

After landing, Winter began with her specific task of finding Ruby Rose, the leader responsible for taking care of Weiss. She found Ruby half an hour later. Actually, Ruby found her first, as she used her Semblance to scout the area for any potential threats.

Their contact was rather awkward at first. Ruby appeared out of nowhere just as Winter drew her weapon after seeing several corpses nailed on the walls. The stench almost made her throw up, the harsh environment was unbearable and there was always the possibility of being attacked by the very thing that caused this terraforming process. The last thing she needed was a red blur to hit her like a bullet.

Ruby apologized for a whole minute, motor-mouth style. Winter had to told her to stop. Their conversation began by exchanging names, only to shift to the topic of survivors, thanks to Ruby. That relieved Winter somewhat, as it spared her of the pain that would be an hours-long serarch for survivors. When Winter asked how did she knew where they were, Ruby replied that "she and a stranger gathered them and brought the to safety". As it turned out, the "safety" lay in a building which had a rather luxurious basement, if one could ignore the all the dust.

Winter wasn't prepared for what came next.

Ruby led the way to the safe zone while muttering to herself from time to time, something about cookies. Winter, once she reached the basement, found her sister, along with two more girls, laying on makeshift beds in a room isolated from the rest of the poor souls who went through hell. Weiss was cold to the touch. That made Winter's heart skip a beat. Instinctively, she pressed her ear against Weiss's chest. Her eyes widened.

" _No. No, it can't!_ Weiss!"

Her ladylike demeanor and composure melted away as her brain spoke to her that Weiss was dead. Tears began forming at her eyes as she tried so hard not to break down and cause a scene (she was a Schnee at all times). Her head darted towards Ruby as she heard her closing the door.

"What happened to Weiss?!"

Ruby told her the truth. Weiss had lost her soul. Winter wanted to slap the little brat for saying such stupid things. But then the girl in red told her that it happened to the other two girls as well, one of which was her older sister. And just like that, Winter couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for having such thoughts. That girl shared her pain despite the age difference.

Then something unexpected happened. Ruby came up to Winter and placed her tiny hand on Winter's shoulder, completely ignoring the difference in social status between the two. She told Winter words that, whether she liked it or not, gave her a tiny bit of hope that whispered "Weiss can be saved". Ruby said:

"A hero will bring them back soon."

* * *

(Atrium Carceri – From Chasms Reborn)

The command center was mostly occupied by consoles and screens and chairs. It was basically a rip off from every science fiction series of old. One chair, the comfiest of them, stood on elevated ground while the others, the plebs, sat in front of big screens and consoles with colorful buttons. The big, curved window, which served as a wall's replacement for almost half of the room, showed only dirt due to the spaceship being buried. Several computers beeped incessantly while others were shut down.

Braylon stepped forward, careful to be as silent as possible. The door closed automatically behind him. He raised his SMG at the comfy chair. A pistol lay in the blood below and there seemed to be a headless corpse slumped on it. Braylon reached the chair and turned it around. The red scarf told him everything he needed to know.

" _Fucking coward._ "

He picked up the gun. Now that he got a better look at it, Braylon figured out what kind of pistol it was; a Torgue product named Pocket Rocket. Although it quickly ate ammo, it was arguably one of the best guns that belonged to that brand, despite it costing a small fortune and being relatively hard to obtain. There was also a rumor on Pandora that the gun was being sold in vending machines during the "Campaign of Carnage", but that is a story for another time.

" _I'll take this, pal._ "

"Robbing the dead yet again, I see."

The Vault Hunter turned around and pointed the Pocket Rocket at the masked figure. Too many rings was his first impression. How did he get behind me without me noticing was his second.

"I think you missed the carnival, pal."

"Your humor hurts me. My heart can only bleed for so long."

" _Asshole._ "

"Ah, good old general. When he failed to see a way out, he decided to take his life, rather than feel your fury on his skin. He was the one that brought all of them here, you know?"

"..."

The figure went on, "The turbulence unleashed by the Vault proved way too much for this and other spaceships. Fear struck entire crews as they thought they would crash and die. This one in particular was unfortunate enough to become a victim of a rift. The dear general was eager to struck a bargain when we called. All we had to do was bring the spacecraft to safety and then back home. In exchange for our services, he had to kill you."

Braylon quickly glanced at his sides. The room suddenly became darker as the floor beneath him shook slightly.

"On the first day of their arrival to this reality, the crew was assaulted by the soulless constructs that plague mortalkind. More than half of his men died back then. It was a glorious slaughterhouse that would be carved in his mind for the rest of his days. Imagine then, the impact your victory over Tammuz had on his fragile psyche. Those few lives he tried to save escaped from his grasp and met death. It was only natural to embrace suicide. Hehehehe!"

"Give back the souls you stole."

Suddenly the room temperature began to rise without any warning. It hit thirty degrees Celsius in minutes, as if the room was at the center of a heat wave. For a moment he thought he heard voices whispering in his ears. He dismissed them as hallucinations.

" _I don't feel so good..._ "

"You are free to take them. If you can, that is. Hehehe!"

"What are you talking about? Where are the souls I'm looking for?!"

"They will share the same fate as the fool who followed them here."

"Enough bullshit! Tell me where they are or I will beat the answers out of you!"

"You are not really in the position to threaten anybody right now. If only you were slightly more attentive. You would notice that this massive tomb is sinking."

"...sinking?"

"Yes. Sinking. Towards the darkest abyss from which there is no escape. We got you now."

Braylon's attention went from the figure to the PDA. It flashed a warning about temperatures rising to above forty degrees Celsius, before the screen turned entirely red. A black head of a goat inside a pentagram drew itself on the newest background.

"My PDA! What did you do, you son of a bitch?!"

"You cannot imagine the sacrifices we had to go through to imprison the Doom Slayer, who was blessed by the Seraphim with the power to kill what is immortal in nature. It took careful preparation and countless lives just to lure him in our temple and trap him in the cursed sarcophagus. You," it pointed at Braylon, "compared to him, are just a fool who, in his lust for riches and glory, opened something that should have been closed and forgotten. In your mad guilt, you tried to repair your mistake, unable to realize what were you actually doing the whole time. It was only after a loyalist had shown it to you that you became a thorn in our back. Now that you possess that thing around your finger, we cannot allow to let you go. Which brings you here."

Braylon, tired of talking, shot a gyrojet projectile at the figure's body. The clothing that covered it from head to toe was ripped to shreds, the rings fell harmlessly on the floor, yet the body was nowhere to be seen. At the same time, the mask dropped as well, revealing an eyeless, bleached skull, cracked in few places as if someone tried to break it open. Two horns grew on its sides as it covered itself in orange fire. The Forgotten One* spoke in tongues, then moaned loudly as it threw itself at Braylon, who strafed sideways. Rather than hit the wall, it sank through, disappearing from the room.

" _Creepy, but not unexpected._ "

(Doom 2016 – Main Menu)

The ground shook once again.

" _Earthquake?_ "

All screens in the room turned red. The computers screamed as if someone ripped their cables apart. Braylon covered his ears, becoming anxious without knowing why. Someone's moans were broadcast through the intercom near the door while the lights went on and off until they exploded, showering the place in darkness. Quick footsteps, followed by knocking, then scratching at the walls. Laughter, screams, howls, moans. It all turned into a mad cacophony of noises and emotions that invaded the Vault Hunter's most intimate thoughts. One minute he felt senseless euphoria, the other he had to fight off the voices in his head; ones that said things like:

"I dream the world awake."

"Shut up! Shut up!"

"Sanity is a burden."

"Your soul is mine."

" _The fuck's going on?!_ "

Few rays of red light broke through the mass of dirt that blocked the glass-wall. At first, he thought that Cygnus fell into a volcano, which would explain the increasing hotness and the unbearable air. But as dirt slowly started changing color, from dark brown to yellow to red, a rather dark déjà vu turned every hair on his body as sharp as a nail. He already experienced something like that before.

But where?

Not a single place he ever visited made him feel so many emotions at once. No place could overwhelm his mind to the point that he began questioning the reality around him. None, except one.

One he wished to never see again.

One he wished to avoid at all costs.

As the last bits of dirt fell off the equivalent of a windscreen, Braylon's worst fears resurfaced once again when the thick, heavy crimson light illuminated the entirety of the command center. The unfamiliar landscape that awaited to embrace the sinking spacecraft suddenly became a fact of life, something he knew ever since he was born. Now he understood the words of the Forgotten One. They had him where they wanted him to be; the eternal prison.

" _I'm in Hell!_ "

And Braylon screamed.

* * *

 **We begin the arc with a short chapter. Nothing too special, not too brutal. Now, the plan is such: the arc is meant to be divided in four parts, each consisting of three chapters where the third chapter has a boss fight. Each part will have different themes. For example, the first part will be played out in the spaceship, with more emphasis on atmosphere than the fights. Since this arc is as Doom as the story gets, there will be "bonus/secret" levels. Fourteen chapters in total, at least that is the plan. P** **repare to see everything. And I do mean everything. Guns, death, horror, gore etc. I have no idea when will I post the next chapter. This arc means a lot to me and I want to make sure it comes out good.**

 **Next chapter: Living Quarters**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 **Entry #1** **21** **:** Forgotten One

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Among the armies of evil there are those who refused to cooperate, sabotaged important operations_ _for their own benefit_ _or proclaimed loudly their hostility towards others. As a result, these individuals were exiled_ _and their names erased from historical records. Now known as Forgotten Ones, they wander around Hell in_ _utter solitude, their motives unknown._ "

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Item:** Hive Bomb

\- **Purple/High-Quality** grenade mod

\- allows the user to throw a Hive that releases robotic bees at enemies

 **-** the bees have four effects (depending on the user's choice): Incendiary lasers, Shock stingers, Caustic bacteria and Explosive charges (if not chosen by the user, then it will be randomly picked by the Hive)

* * *

(Here is a list of all known monsters that belong to the Legions of Hell faction, to make things easier for the reader. This list will be present for the entirety of the arc and will be updated with every new monster that shows up.)

1) Imp: Peon, Grunt

2) Demon: Bull, Ravager, Noise

3) Possessed: Corpse, Former Human, Faunus, Huntsman

4) Invisible: Spectre, Phantom

5) Corrupted Animal: Tainted, Haunted

6) One-of-a-kind: Sawcubus, Vulgar, Wraith, Hell Razer, Maggot, Ifrit, Returner, Scorched One, Frozen One, Eurynomus

7) Souls: Condemned, Lost Soul, Dark Soul, Forgotten One

8) Revenant: Fury, Revenant

9) Cult: Harvester

10) Elemental: Pain, War

11) Arch-Vile: Reanimator, Void-Caller

12) Cacodemon: Caconoid, Rahovart

13) Flesh: Flesh Artist, Fleshmender

14) Mancubus: Mancubus, Behemoth

15) Nobility: Hell Knight, Hell Paladin, Baron of Hell, Duke of Hell

16) Oni: Burning Mouth, Thunder Fist

17) Fusion: Agent of Apocalypse, Minister of Death

18) Arachnotron: Thalamus

19) Hellspawn: Zombie Pigman, Mourning Wood, Succubus, Lamia, Kumiho, Harpy


	41. Living Quarters

(Re:Zero – Sloth)

"Ah! Aah! Aaaaaaaaaahhh!"

His legs slid his body backwards until his back felt the wall. Sitting there, trying to curl himself into the smallest ball possible, the Vault Hunter dug through his hair as the unending streams of tears marked the beginning of the torment he was about to go through. Eyes wide, pupils reduced to pinpricks and mouth hung open, the brain struggled to comprehend the sensory information it was bombarded with, most often contradictory in nature. To give an example, the skin would feel like it was set on fire, due to the increasingly hotter air inside the room, only to start freezing to death not even seconds later.

"Uaaaaaaahh! No! No! Nooohohoo-o-o-o…!"

Emotions served to make things even more of a nightmare, mostly because Braylon felt all of them at once, simultaneously, without a warning. It made up something that could only be described as a reality warp, where sanity and its counterpart walked hand in hand. For Braylon, it meant that he had to clench his teeth mid-scream as to prevent himself from voicing the sudden euphoria that built up in the depths of his throat. And so with teeth grinding against each other, bloodshot eyes, face indecisive between whether to express mind-boggling fear or unhealthy happiness, and with the sound that might have been a mixture between coughing and a poor attempt at laughing, Braylon, engulfed in crimson light, resembled an individual any psychiatrist would instantly label insane.

And what to make of the painful truth that, right then, the only thing that kept him alive was a glass wall of questionable resistance and quality? It certainly didn't make things better, as the sight of what lay beyond that glass wall only served to put more stress on the young teenager. No matter what he tried, the image was constantly burned into his brain. Even the eyelids failed to hide hundreds upon hundreds of eyes that did their best to express how much their masters wanted to drown him in a spoon of water if they could.

Over the course of his "adventure", Braylon grew accustomed to seeing tiny groups of demons at random intervals. But this was something else entirely. There were barely any demons he was able to recognize, such as the Caconoids and Rahovarts, among the groups that numbered in thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, that were either approaching the DBS Cygnus, stared at Braylon uncomfortably close to the glass wall or were looking for a way to reach the sack of meat inside the metallic cage. Flying eyes with tiny wings, ghosts, disembodied faces, fiery bats, skeletal worms, even red humanoids with pitchforks. And those were forms he was able to recognize and understand. Many were beyond his ability to fathom.

"Please! Please! Help! Work, damn it!"

Braylon desperately rubbed the ring, hoping it would somehow bring him back to Remnant. Hell was the last place he wanted to visit again, partly because he knew that, should he die, that would be the end for his soul and for the souls of those he wanted to save. His eyes just couldn't stop staring at the horde of demons and hellspawn outside. The more aggressive ones kept banging at the glass, which already began showing cracks on its surface. This in turn made him rub the little piece of gold even more, as if it were the lamp of a genie. He clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and began praying.

"God, please hear the pleas of a sinner in his darkest hours! Do not throw me to the hungry wolves that want my soul, but grant me courage to fight them. You, my light of salvation, show me the path I have to take. Help me find the three souls I came for, so that I can bring them to safety. I owe them that much."

The cacophony of madness from outside the ship became even louder, more aggressive, as some demons threw themselves at the glass wall. Like starving, rabid animals, they displayed their sharp teeth, ready to chew meat away from his bones. Nevertheless, he kept praying, with even more determination. His prayers were answered when the ring grew in brightness. The PDA's screen returned to its former glory and all the negative effects that Hell had on his soul and body faded away, becoming nothing more than a temporary 'feeling' comparable to an allergy. Braylon felt a deep sense of relief, as if someone removed the world from his proverbial shoulders.

"...Thank you. Thank you so much."

Braylon sprung back on his feet, cracking his neck. He was still wary of the sudden noises he heard inside the room that weren't demonic shrieks and cries. He couldn't take anything for granted, because even the slightest detail could spell trouble for him. Such was the way of Hell and its prisoners.

"Alright. Enough feeling sorry for myself. Time to be a hero."

A white ray of light snaked its way from the ring to the door. It felt cold to the touch, but he could sense a connection that has been established with someone, or rather, someone's soul. Feeling like Theseus in a labyrinth where horror awaited at every turn, he decided to follow the tiny light, going deeper rather than trying to find a way out. He was painfully aware of the danger he was heading into, but there was no way he could search for an exit without helping Weiss, Blake and Yang first.

The screen outside still displayed the map of DBS Cygnus, only now it had several red rings painted in certain locations, showing how there were multiple breaches into the spacecraft.

" _Already inside..._ "

He headed for the mega-elevator and set the coordinates to the 'Living Quarters', the section of the ship where the crew could spend its free time however it wanted. He was certain that the place also contained the armory, which was definitely a place to scavenge for the retrieval of his weapons. Still shaken by the vivid images, the mind rape and the emotional overload, Braylon pushed the button. He could use the spare time to go through the basics he acquired from the voice that 'helped' him escape the first time, although he now decided to take it all with a grain of salt.

First and foremost, Hell is a prison. It is not a kingdom or a country or an 'another dimension'. There is no ruler of Hell, just prisoners with different social status. The Condemned mortal souls are the lowest of the low. Only the demons are worth something, as they have the power to do as they please within the prison, within the boundaries of course. As such, demons are the biggest threat and they will make sure you understand that.

Second. Hell is a prison, yes, but not just any prison. Hell is a cage for mind, body, soul and everything in between. It is alive in its own twisted sense (blame the demons for that), and, as such, will do everything it can to make you suffer, whether it is by sensory overload or something else, which is also the reason why living mortals should never set foot in it while the souls can somewhat take it better. Do not be surprised if the hallway you just walked through ends up becoming a wall the second you turn around. Do not question any such phenomena. Not only it saves time and energy, it also prevents you from becoming insane, if you aren't already.

Third; if something can go wrong, it most likely will. Everything is a trap. If something looks useful, be sure it comes loaded with either a drawback or a horde of monsters ready to eat your face. One wrong step and you are dead. Because demons spent more time in Hell than any other created being, they know the place far better than you do. This doesn't mean you can't use that to your own advantage. After all, Hell works equally for all.

That was all he could remember. He was sure to keep them in mind at all times as he inspected every gun he had on himself, deciding to use the Torgue shotgun right off the bat. There was no reason to hold back.

* * *

(Doom PSX – Track07 (Toxin Refinery))

"Welcome back, soldier! Please enjoy your d-d-d-death-daily routine! We need you at full s-suffer-strength at all times."

Stepping out of the mega-elevator, he was greeted by a green hologram of a bald man in a suit. The hologram stood in the middle of a small room. There was a screen displaying the map of the Living Quarters behind it. At each side stood a door. The door on the left had two neon signs; 'CRYOGENIC CHAMBERS' and 'LABORATORIES'. The reinforced door on the right had 'ARMORY' and 'DORMITORIES'. The white light didn't go forward, meaning that Weiss wasn't here.

" _There!_ " He headed for the door on the right, inspecting the keypad that was near it. He required a keycard in order to get access. " _Fuck! I don't have that. Maybe..._ " he turned around, " _I'll find it there._ "

Braylon opened the door, going into the corridor that led to a bigger room. There were four tiny windows on the left wall. He looked through the first window. Below, he could see hundreds of heads staring right back at him, raising their claws, hands or tentacles menacingly, seemingly waiting to get a piece of him. Tall mountains loomed in the distance, red as everything else in Hell. Gigantic figures walked between them. Some of them were skeletons resembling dinosaur-like creatures, others were dragons and serpents. One monster in particular was hard to see, as it was covered in shadows. He was able to recognize feline features, but aside from the icy-blue eyes that bore straight into his, there really wasn't anything else noteworthy on it, so he stepped away from the window and moved on.

His walk was cut short when an orange wall roared into existence, blocking any further advancement. An orange pentagram formed in front of the wall, which burst into flames. A Ravager Demon was summoned to stop him.

" _Damn it!_ "

Howling madly, the Ravager Demon charged. Since the corridor was too small for maneuvers, Braylon had no choice but to run as fast as he could back to the room with the hologram, letting the beast bang its head against the wall. He approached the stunned demon and shot a volley of gyrojet rockets at its unprotected flesh, blowing away a hand and a large portion of its body. It took a second shot to stop it from moving.

Another Ravager Demon teleported to replace its defeated brother. Like its predecessor, it too attempted to trample the human, who merely repeated the same tactic. All the walls, even the ceiling, were covered in blood.

Everything changed when a third demon teleported into the corridor. It wasn't a Ravager, but a Noise Demon, the toughest variant. Braylon cursed his bad luck as he pulled the trigger, hoping that at least some of the projectiles would hit it from that distance. The demon, however, used its sonic attack, which changed their trajectories, efficiently deflecting them all. It then, with its tremendous speed, reached Braylon and screeched again, sending him flying until he hit the wall. As it got close, Braylon quickly picked up his shotgun and shot once. Although the tiny rockets struck its tough skin, damaging the flesh underneath, it wasn't enough to kill it. The Noise Demon opened its mouth right when Braylon shot again. Its jaw and parts of the throat exploded, moving it backwards by a small distance. As the demon choked on its own blood, Braylon found the strength to stand up. With a roar through clenched teeth, the Vault Hunter shoved the barrel at the demon's palate and pulled the trigger one final time, dyeing the metallic ceiling in green gore.

Something new happened that he didn't notice before. Several red and orange orbs popped out of the fallen corpse. Braylon was skeptical to approach them first, until he saw the ring absorbing them all. He didn't know what the deal was, but he felt better than before, as if any injuries or ailments were cured. Also, his PDA warned him that his ammo supplies, grenades included, inexplicably increased. He didn't pay much attention to the orange wall disappearing from the corridor.

The O-shaped room was connected to three more hallways. The walls were decorated with bloodstains, yet there were no corpses present. He went left, passing by a long line of blood, a cut or something like that, only to encounter a new type of demon, one physically resembling an Imp but with purple skin and three beady eyes. The most distinguishing feature wasn't even the sharpness of its claws, but rather its ability to leap at Braylon so fast that, hadn't he slipped on a pool of blood, he would have lost his head. Truly, that was the moment when Braylon realized he had to get his shit together if he wanted to survive an encounter with the Prowler*.

Using its claws to attach itself to the wall, the Prowler attempted it leap attack once again, but Braylon rolled forward. Dropping his shotgun, he materialized the Pocket Rocket and fired, the "bang!" being loud enough to attract more unwanted attention. It was even worse when the Prowler jumped to the ceiling to avoid being hit.

" _Shit! This is bad!_ "

He quickly retreated to the nearest hallway. When he wanted to go further, he was stopped by an explosion that blocked it off. An Ifrit rose from the inferno, along with three Imp Grunts who wasted no time and immediately began throwing fireballs at him. He had no choice but to go back at the O-shaped room and deploy a Hive Bomb. This time, he pushed the yellow button, so the robotic bees, after being released, immediately went for the nearest targets; the Imps and the Prowler. As soon as a bee would touch the surface of its designated target, it would explode, causing a sound similar to a gun firing off, but with deadlier results, as they would leave wounds that, while not big in size, could go so deep as to reach the bone. Soon the entire scene resembled like being present at an execution by a firing squad, with four corpses dropping like flies no matter how agile they were. Nothing can escape from the might that is the hive.

Or that would be the case, if the Prowler didn't wait for Braylon to get closer so it could attack. The Vault Hunter, after receiving a mild heart attack, fell down with a wounded demon on top of him, trying his best to hold its arms while enduring its incessant screams of rage. He could see the faint outline of the Ifrit coming from around the corner.

"Fuck off from me!"

Materializing Holo Ripper, the first thing he did was to cut its arm vertically to free his own. After its arm became two stripes of useless flesh, he proceeded to move the holographic chainsaw at the neck. He encountered slight resistance in the form of a struggle, but he managed to swing the Holo Ripper, lopping off the head. Ignoring the many orange orbs that spawned from the corpse, Braylon jumped back on his feet and made a full circle through the room, reaching his shotgun. Two shots after, the Ifrit was consumed by its own flames.

Now what? One of the routes, the 'RECREATION', wasn't an option anymore. He still had 'LABORATORIES' and 'CRYOGENIC CHAMBERS' left. The most logical choice would be to go to the laboratories. Someone could have what he sought. The fact that there was a huge trail of blood that led to those particular doors made him question his choice.

" _Argh! Fuck it! Here I go!_ "

(Doom 64 – Research Lab)

He didn't like the sounds he started hearing the moment he opened the doors that led to the laboratories. There was blood everywhere, like before, but now there were corpses present. None of them looked like they were killed by a gun. Necks, legs and hands were bitten off.

" _Were they killed by demons?_ "

The hallway wasn't a straight line, but a curve, meaning that Braylon would have hard time figuring out what could attack him. It didn't help that some of the lights were either broken or flickering and that his feet would produce sounds equal to a hammer striking a piece of metal, no matter how careful they were.

He came across a demon when he saw meat and organs messily scattered everywhere around a particular point on the ground, although the monster was invisible. It was a Spectre. Braylon quickly took his Pocket Rocket from his holster and fired four shots. A small cloud of blood would sprung into existence with each shot. It was over after the fifth shot blew up a portion of its brain. The corpse reappeared, laying on the pool of its own body fluids.

The Spectre's defeat triggered a hidden trap. Two Phantoms teleported in the hallway, one in front of him and one back at the doors, making sure their presence was known by emitting their signature spectral laughs. Braylon cursed loudly, as he didn't expect that particular demon to show up.

That isn't to say he wasn't prepared.

Seeing the ring emitting tiny golden sparks, he curled his hand into a fist so tight that his knuckles became white.

"Superman Punch Overdrive!"

The golden sparks quickly turned into lightning that enveloped his fist as he pushed it forward striking the Phantom, which exploded so violently that Braylon didn't have the time to shield his face from all the nasty gore. After wiping away the spectral blood, he noticed the second Phantom. It didn't attack, however. It just stared at the spectral stain that was its brother, then turned its gaze to Braylon and let out a scream of such fury followed by a white fireball he narrowly avoided. When it turned solid, Braylon used the Pocket Rocket to obliterate its left shoulder. He then ran up to the stunned demon and impaled its head with his Holo Sabre.

Picking up the strange orbs, he continued his walk through the hallway until he reached the end. There was a glass door on the right. Two more doors could be seen just few steps ahead, but those led to the bathrooms.

Hearing faint growls and moans, Braylon decided to inspect the men's bathroom first. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the incredible amount of blood on one of the urinals, with no corpse present. A chill ran down his spine as he slowly walked towards it, careful to not accidentally pull the trigger. His head extended for just a bit, enough to see what was inside the urinal.

Eyes. At least six pairs of them, carefully placed in a pyramid, each looking back at him.

There was a loud bang and two faucets inexplicably began pouring blood in such amounts that it overflowed their respective sinks. Something invisible dipped its limbs into the blood then used it to make footprints that led to the door.

" _Alright. Calm down. It's just a trick to make me loose my cool. Ugh! The smell.._ "

He walked out of the bathroom and saw handprints on the wall, moving towards the glass door. After the sixth handprint, the door opened by itself.

At the same time, a Possessed Corpse crawled out of the other bathroom. Braylon killed it.

" _You want me to go in there, huh? Guess I don't have a choice._ "

His moved towards the door. He had a feeling that it was a trap. That feeling proved true when he walked into the mess of a room. Without even understanding what was going on, he found himself in another room. No. To call it a room would be an offense to all rooms in existence. At best, it was a big metallic box adorned with rusty walls and no way out. An earthquake later, and suddenly a pentagram appeared in each corner of the room.

" _Oh shit, here we go again._ "

The first round consisted of four six-legged, green-skinned versions of the Terran Komodo dragons with crown-shaped crests on their heads. Venom dripped from their mouths as they stared at Braylon like a cat at a mouse. These were Basilisks**, yet another race of hellspawn in the already big army of evil.

They didn't prove as much of a challenge for the Vault Hunter. His Shield protected him from their bites, but that didn't mean he underestimated them. The first one exploded simply because it was unaware of the nature of his gun. The other three were much faster after they saw the speed of a gyrojet bullet.

" _They can adapt. I have to switch my guns then._ "

He allowed the second one to come close enough for the Holo Sabre to be treated as a skewer for Basilisk meat. Quickly switching to the sniper rifle, he blew the third creature's head off. The last one received a heavy dose of lead from the Hyperion SMG. That was the end of the first round.

The second round served to ramp up the difficulty. Only two Imps showed up. Braylon had a feeling that there must have been a very good reason why they sent only two of those. Looking at them, he could see how they resembled the Grunts, but the musculature was way more eye-catching, as if they indulged in steroids ever since they were born. Their skin was red, another thing that set them apart from Grunts. They had a third eye on the forehead, gray as the other two, with two tiny horns at the sides. Each also had large mouth adorned with sharp teeth for a stomach, burning like a furnace. The spikes and claws were sharper and more highlighted due to their bone-white color. A word whispered into his ear, a name; 'Subjugator'.***

Every single cell in his body, down to the tiniest hair, told him he had to bring out the strongest gun in his arsenal and to shoot them both in less than a second. The goosebumps just wouldn't stop. It got so bad that he even had to put strength into the tips of his fingers to avoid shaking. There was an oppressive aura of raw hatred emanating from those Imps, painfully similar to the look he got from the Phantom. They wanted him dead above all else.

One of the Imps clung to the wall while the other immediately attacked Braylon. Its fist was faster than he thought it would be, so it struck his left cheek and he was sent flying to the other side of the room.

" _F-fuck! That Imp has a mean right hook. Almost snapped my neck!_ "

The other Imp grabbed a fireball from its belly-mouth and threw it in an arc. Braylon cursed and quickly jumped away. The fireball detonated, spawning tinier versions of itself which bounced around and then exploded, similar to a MIRV grenade.

Torgue shotgun found its way in Braylon's hands. But no matter how many gyrojet bullets flew out from the barrel, none of them managed to hit the Subjugator, who skillfully dodged them all. On the contrary, the Imp used the time between each shot to get closer. Swatting away his weapon, it kicked Braylon down, then leaped. It certainly didn't expect an unmodified grenade he secretly materialized in his hand behind his back. When he rolled away, the Subjugator landed straight on the grenade. Not even an Imp like that could withstand the power of a grenade that close to its face.

Ignoring a severed hand that flew past his face, the Vault Hunter dodged more fireballs, grabbed the shotgun, swapped it for the Caustic Blaster, then fired at the second Imp. Although the green laser beams melted the flesh on its back, they only served to elicit a scream of fury from the buffed demon. Moving its legs closer to the wall, as if trying to squat, the second Subjugator propelled itself towards Braylon with the speed that could rival the fastest of bullets. Due to its sheer strength and weight, it easily threw the surprised human down. Now on top, its hands clutched his throat while he tried his best to move them away. It felt like being someone who never exercised in their whole life yet tried to bench press a hundred kilograms.

" _Can't… breathe… gonna die!_ "

His vision was slowly turning darker. Death was the least desirable thing right now. Should he die, his soul would be exposed to abuse from everything that was trapped in Hell. Fate had other plans, however, when he noticed the ring forming sparks once again. He released his grip on the Subjugator's hands and pointed his own at its chest.

"Overdrive… Gatling!"

Concentrating the power on both fists, the Vault Hunter mercilessly hit the demon's abdomen multiple times, grinding its bones and tenderizing everything else. Eyes locked on each other, the Imp coughed silvery blood while Braylon howled in anger. When he further increased the speed of each strike, the demon, feeling all of the pain he dished out, began loosing the force behind its fatal clasp. At one point, Braylon's hands tore through the rock-hard muscles and began tearing apart the squishy innards. Ending the struggle with one final, most powerful blow, Braylon threw the Imp towards the ceiling, where it exploded into a fine silver mist.

"Hah… hah… how you like that? Huh?"

An earthquake.

" _Aw, what now?_ "

Only one monster appeared for the final round. It was the fabled Minotaur; a cross between a human and a bull. Judging by its appearance, it looked like it had seen better days. Most of its skin and fur had fallen off, revealing rotting flesh and bones. One of its eyes was missing while the other was just a plain white orb. There was a sword stuck in its forehead, though it didn't stop it from holding a giant axe in its hands. That was the Minotaur alright, just not alive. Or dead.****

" _Heh, guess Theseus has done a rather shitty job._ " Braylon chuckled to himself, even if the situation was nothing to be happy about. The zombie Minotaur moaned pitifully. "You walking abortion… killing you is almost as bad as letting you live."

He knew the gist. Shoot the head and the zombie dies. Materializing the sniper rifle, Braylon pumped two bullets to the left of the sword, disintegrating what remained of the rotten brain. It didn't die.

"Hmmm… did the movies lie to me?"

The Minotaur was gone.

"What?"

Something was behind him.

" _Move!_ " his mind screamed at him as he strafed forward, avoiding death by being cut in two with an axe. " _So fast!_ " It was already in front of him. " _Shit!_ " Braylon avoided two more swings, then strafed away from the undead beast. " _How fast is this fucker?!_ "

"Moooooohhh!"

" _Fuck it._ "

Braylon brought out both the Torgue Shotgun and the Pocket Rocket. He managed to chip away most of its rotten meat, one arm and the entire left half of the head, before the Minotaur came close enough to try attacking again. Due to the heavy damage, its movements turned sloppier than before, allowing Braylon to jump on the axe, jump higher, then use the wall to jump even higher.

" _Here we go!_ "

Using the new Oz kit in his possession, Braylon performed a slam attack, creating an explosion so powerful that the monster's remains scattered all over the room.

"Anyone else?"

Yet another earthquake. A teleporter appeared in the middle of the room.

"Thought so."

* * *

The teleporter led him back to the laboratories; seven hexagonal rooms connected with archways to form a honeycomb. Each room was unique. The one he landed in had tables, papers and various scientific instruments scattered all over the floor, all damaged in some way. Few screens on the walls were shattered as well. Someone painted a goat's head inside a pentagram on one of the walls. Coincidentally, it was the first thing Braylon had seen when he returned.

" _There must be a keycard around here somewhere. Maybe some staff folks have it?_ "

Demented moans of Possessed Corpses could be heard from other rooms. Braylon decided to go into each room and kill them all with his SMG. They weren't a big threat so he completed the task without too much trouble. He would later go back to each room and inspect every body he came across as well as anything that would be even remotely useful to him. No such luck. None of the cadavers had the keycard and the most noteworthy thing he came across were a bunch of computers displaying the word 'DIE' in big red letters.

" _Someone made sure to wreck this place for good. Did they have something so good that it was worth the effort? The only option left is_ _to go to the cryogenic chambers. And if that isn't a trap, I don't know what is._ " He headed back to the hallway, unaware of the change that happened in his absence. " _W-what?!_ "

Where there used to be gray dull metal, now stood large bricks, dirty jade in color and covered in soot of unexplained origins. The lights were now brass candelabra adorned with skull motifs. Even the air was heavier than it used to be.

" _I need to get out of here. Fast!_ "

He backtracked to the cryogenic chambers, but something changed there as well. The door that used to be metallic was now made of wood! A large demonic skull stared back at him, lack a jaw or a pair of eyes. He made three steps forward and the door opened far more quickly than it should have, revealing a hidden Thalamus Arachnotron that opened fire without second thoughts, unlike Braylon who dived for cover. Half of a sniper rifle clip was needed to bring it down, for he thought it would be a waste to use Holy Overdrive.

Passing by the body, Braylon reached another, smaller door. The red light above it turned green, meaning he could go through.

"What the hell happened here?"

The entire floor was frozen, completely covered in ice. Six cylindrical chambers stood at each side of the small corridor that led to an elevator, taller than a man but no wider than an ordinary fridge, filled with some light blue fluid that made its true contents impossible to see. Only one of them was broken. The fluid surrounding it was mixed with blood. A bloody trail connected the broken chamber and the door.

If someone where to ask what was the point of the cryogenic chambers, they would receive a reply that would go something like this: "At times, a spacecraft needs to travel at very long distances. Sometimes some individuals who may be useful again in the future, or require medical attention due to injuries or illness, need to be available whenever the higher-ups require their services, but time could screw up their plans. That is why most ships have these chambers." Such an explanation would, most often than not, end the conversation. In some cases, though, one might pry a bit more than they should, especially when corporations are involved. To them, the standard explanation simply won't do, so they discover that these chambers also serve as massive warehouses for illegal genetic experiments or dangerous xenos.

Braylon couldn't imagine how knee-deep in shit he would be if those things got out, or if demons decided to touch them with their filthy hands. He had to mentally prepare himself for anything that could potentially come at him while exploring the whole place just to find one little key card.

* * *

(Dronny Darko & RNGMNN - Incubation)

"Ding!" the elevator rung.

"Brr! It's freezing in here!"

Normally such sections of any spaceship out there shouldn't be that cold, as the blue fluid did its job well enough to avoid further expenses on such matters. Braylon had no idea why his PDA told him that the temperature dropped to minus thirty degrees Celsius. He looked from the catwalk down at rows upon rows of chambers. Most of them were full. There was no demon in sight.

Braylon headed downstairs, willing to go so far as to explore every nook and cranny if he had to, just to get his guns back. Caustic Blaster in hand, he slowly walked around, careful to take in every possible detail of his surroundings.

" _Footsteps!_ "

He turned around. Nothing was there. Something broke one of the chambers. There was a scream that was immediately drowned by… something.

" _Nope, nope, nope. Hell no!_ "

Picking up the pace only served to make him more paranoid. It certainly helped finding what he was looking for; a corpse with the key card around their neck. He jovially picked it up, thinking how he was a step closer to victory, when he felt that something was behind him. Not necessarily close, just behind him.

" _Huh?_ What is that?"

It looked like a ripple, like someone grabbed a tiny piece of the fabric realities are made from and decided to squish it like a sponge. He could only see it because it reflected light in a way no object should have. Several Imps chopped to pieces lay below it as well.*****

" _..._ _Why does it remind me of a cannon?_ "

The floating stain, it honestly couldn't have any other name, began expanding as soon as Braylon finished that thought, inexplicably transforming into an actual cannon. He would love to stare and gawk at the phenomenon, but he had to avoid a cannonball that suddenly flew at him. It missed, forming a hole in the wall. Several demonic hands from outside tried to grab anything close to the hole, but only found air.

" _What the fuck!? How it can do that?!_ "

Turning back into its original, colorless form, the entity followed Braylon as he ran through several rows of chambers. He locked back for a second, just as it turned around the corner.

" _And now it resembles a dinosaur…_ No, wait! I didn't mean that!"

But it was too late. The stain, as if reading his mind, turned into a bipedal dinosaur with black hide and red eyes. Its tail destroyed several chambers, releasing some humans and dead xenos from captivity. Braylon ran upstairs, to the catwalk, watching as the not-dinosaur bared its teeth at him.

" _That's how you work. I see..._ "

Pulling out the sniper rifle, he fired a bullet in its forehead. No blood came out, but the creature was clearly wounded, reverting back to its true form.

" _Must concentrate now… something non-violent… a… balloon! That's what it is now!_ "

The stain really turned into a balloon. Whether it did by its own volition or not was a mystery he didn't care to find out. He blew it up with another bullet before reaching the elevator.

" _I refuse to stay here a minute longer than necessary!_ "

* * *

"Access allowed."

Using the keycard made the door operable. When opened, Braylon was greeted with a bunch of Possessed Corpses of dead Marines, who turned out to be the reason why he heard faint scratching when he came all the way back to the starting point. As morbid as it sounds, he was actually happy that it were Corpses and not something stronger. Such fodder could always come in handy for recharging Holy Overdrive or for obtaining those orbs.

Going right, where an arrow claimed it led to the armory, Braylon reached a door. He was about to open it himself when he heard an explosion. Moments later, a Hell Knight forcefully opened the door for him, with three Imp Grunts crawling out from behind the burning wreckage of whatever lay in the other room.

"No! Motherfucker!"

And while the Hell Knight held the door open with his hands, the Grunts decided to attack him. Too bad his Torgue shotgun was powerful enough to turn them into paste.

"If you touched my guns, I swear to God I will kill you all!"

The Hell Knight howled, probably answering his threats with its own. Braylon didn't care as he used the Holo Ripper to cut one of its legs, knowing that it couldn't attack him and hold the door at the same time. Once it fell, the door went down, chopping its head off like a guillotine. He opened it again.

" _Gotta find my weapons, now!_ "

Rushing through the fire, he began destroying every container and every piece of hardware with frightening speed, trying to find his precious arsenal. Once he smashed his fist through a console, an energy barrier on the farthest section of the room shut down, allowing access to four red chests, branded Dahl. Two of them carried guns and other equipment while the remaining two held chips, discs and microfilms. There was only one memory card among them, half the size of a pinky finger.

" _Yes! That must be it!_ "

The PDA formed a rectangular hole on its surface, where the memory card could be placed. It buzzed, downloaded its contents, then warned him that his arsenal expanded with new items. He would give himself a mental pat on the back if something he heard didn't catch his attention first.

"Human identified."

A powerful wind blew from somewhere, extinguishing everything that burned. When he moved his hands that shielded his eyes, the Vault Hunter could see a new challenger; a brutish humanoid with wrinkled, dark-blue-to-ashen-gray skin and pointy ears, yet almost as muscular as a Subjugator, owner of a cybernetic hand that carried a shield that might as well pass for one of those toothed discs used in circular saws, decorated with the head of a lion, its mouth stuck open. The forehead and eyes were hidden behind a surgically-implanted visor. This cybernetic Orc spoke through a voice synthesizer, sounding like a robot.******

It threw its spinning shield like throwing a disc. Braylon strafed sideways and materialized Striker while the shield returned to its owner. He tried to shoot it, only for the shield to deflect all of the pellets.

" _I have to get around that shield if I want to win this one._ "

The lion's mouth turned out to be a flamethrower. Braylon learned that because it caught him by surprise, even if he felt none of it thanks to Bumblebee. The Orc was ready to throw its shield again. He shot its knee and ran forward, but the Orc backhanded him away. He fired again, this time hitting its head and damaging the visor. It let out a robotic moan as it blindly fumbled around. Switching Striker for the Torgue shotgun, he approached it from behind and blew it to bits.

Having no use of his improvised arsenal meant that he had to get rid of all the items that he found at Mountain Glenn. He materialized them all and threw them in a pile, leaving only the Pocket Rocket, the new grenade mod and the Oz, as those were considered far more useful than their discarded brethren. Now that he had his weapons, he could finally go and save the three girls. And judging by the white light, and by the warmth of the ring, Weiss Schnee would be the first on that list.

Braylon set the coordinates for the 'Hangars'.

* * *

 **Here ends the second chapter of the arc. As you can see, this one was a bit longer than the previous chapter, as it had more encounters with smaller groups/individual enemies. I tried my best to make it as atmospheric-centered as possible, as I told this part of the arc would be.**

 **Personal opinions? In all honesty, I feel fine about it. The first** **draft had the entire chapter be nothing but a beeline towards the armory and back to the mega-elevator. After writing the previous chapter, I came with the idea of the cryogenic chambers, so I added that. Then I threw the whole thing into the trash and started from scratch. This chapter is the result. I wanted to add another weapon in his arsenal but I felt like it would be a bit of a stretch, so that will have to wait.**

 **I must say, this chapter had many inspirations in the form of games and map WADs; Doom 3, Nihility and Doom (PSX version, which is hands down one of the best).**

 **Next chapter will include a boss fight and the soul of the best Schnee.** **With that, the first part of the arc will end and the real fun will begin. If you have any ideas, feel free to write them down in a PM (you will get the credit you deserve, I promise). Don't ask me when it will come out.**

 **PS: the last monster in this chapter was based on an unused model from Doom 3, which can be seen on the wiki, named CyberOrc. Looks good, like the models of the Arachnotron and the Spider Mastermind, which makes you wonder why they weren't included in the first place. Oh well.**

 **Next chapter: The Hangars**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #122:** Prowler

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Prowlers were created when some Imps decided to cut their connections with their tribes, deciding to live on their own instead. Because they gave up on their status among the demons, each Prowler had to earn it back again, but with its own two hands. The competition, the harsh environment and the frequent abuse from other demons made them more savage, more agile and more deadly._ "

* * *

 **Entry #123:** Basilisk

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Long time ago, many hellspawn used to be individual entities infesting certain worlds or realities, as the concept of a demonic minion was still newborn. Some managed to grow in numbers, but most of them went extinct by the local populace and their heroes. In an effort to expand their armies, some fallen brothers came up with the idea of resurrecting these entities in the form of an entire race of such creatures. The Basilisks changed their appearance over time as well. First they used to be poisonous snakes, then creatures who killed with their gaze, and now they are poisonous lizards that inhabit Hell. There may be variations of Basilisks out there, in other realities, though I am not an expert on that subject._ " (ability to adapt in battle, deals Caustic damage)

* * *

 **Entry #124:** Imp – Subjugator

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Excerpts from a journal of an unknown author: "This is my second week. I'm stuck in this cage and I still don't know where my family is. Lately, to kill time, I decided to put my knowledge to work and try to figure out_ _what these beings are. I learned from their behavior that they have roles they must fulfill, kinda like the T'Zak. Today I saw these brutes with red skin. They walked on the same strange limbs as others. I saw four of them chaining an adult Gnorak. I have to admit, that was rather impressive. It became clear to me that they are called by others to handle those they consider problematic… (the rest of the page is missing)._ ""

* * *

 **Entry #125:** Minotaur – Resurrected Remains

 **Type:** Hellspawn – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _As is usual with all the hellspawn, the Minotaur should have been erased from the physical realm the moment it died. It seems, however, that its corpse was somewhat preserved to be used in the future. Now that it has been put to rest, I doubt you will see it again._ "

* * *

 *******Entry #126:** Living Rorschach

 **Type:** Riftspawn – Hero

 **Faction:** Unknown

 **Description:** " _A being that can manipulate its physical appearance depending on the target's perception of its original form is one worthy of praise, without any doubts._ _How does it reproduce? Is it the only one of its kind? Is it sentient?_ _I'm sure it fits well in its reality, but in this one it is powerful as fuck. I wonder how th_ _ose_ _soldiers captured_ _such a xeno_ _._ _Maybe its a good thing that I killed it. If I killed it._ "

* * *

 ********Entry #127:** CyberOrc

 **Type:** Hellspawn – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Being a staple in many different realities, where magic is still practiced and not condemned, the term 'Orc' refers to many different races of hellspawn that, one way or another, share similar characteristics, but not similar backgrounds. The most known description, that can be applied to all races, is the following: tall, bipedal humanoids, of low to moderate intelligence, capable of using primitive weapons and with a tendency to live in groups._ _The one you fought seemed to be a unique case. What worries me are the self-evident cybernetic surgeries. There is clearly a purpose behind this fascination with technology, although I do not know why._ "

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Newest addition:** Pocket Rocket, Hive Bomb, Flopper, Seraphim's Seal

 **1) HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw

 **2)** **Pistol:** Unforgiven, Pocket Rocket

 **3)** **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **4)** **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear, Coffin Seller

 **5)** **Rocket Launcher:** Nukem, Leviathan

 **6) Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **7) Energy Weapons:** Excalibastard, Vulcan, Fornax

 **8) Remnant-only:** Vulcan

 **9) Shield:** Bumblebee

 **10) Grenade mod:** Pandemic, Hive Bomb

 **11) Artifacts/Items:** Seraphim's Seal

* * *

1) Imp: Peon, Grunt, Subjugator

2) Demon: Bull, Ravager, Noise

3) Possessed: Corpse, Former Human, Faunus, Huntsman

4) Invisible: Spectre, Phantom

5) Corrupted Animal: Tainted, Haunted

6) One-of-a-kind: Sawcubus, Vulgar, Wraith, Hell Razer, Maggot, Ifrit, Returner, Scorched One, Frozen One, Eurynomus, Prowler

7)Souls: Condemned, Lost Soul, Dark Soul, Forgotten One

8) Revenant: Fury, Revenant

9) Cult: Harvester

10) Elemental: Pain, War

11) Arch-Vile: Reanimator, Void-Caller

12) Cacodemon: Caconoid, Rahovart

13) Flesh: Flesh Artist, Fleshmender

14) Mancubus: Mancubus, Behemoth

15) Nobility: Hell Knight, Hell Paladin, Baron of Hell, Duke of Hell

16) Oni: Burning Mouth, Thunder Fist

17) Fusion: Agent of Apocalypse, Minister of Death

18) Arachnotron: Thalamus

19) Hellspawn: Zombie Pigman, Mourning Wood, Succubus, Lamia, Kumiho, Harpy, Basilisk


	42. The Hangars

(Doom PSX – Track12)

The ride to the hangars of DBS Cygnus was agonizingly slow and claustrophobic, where each second bore the probability of a demon or two showing up, thus ruining any chance for much-needed rest. Maybe the mega-elevator would not take Braylon to the hangars, but to another, more dangerous room, an evil trap prepared just for him. Even the wildest theories could become reality, for was sacred to Hell. Meaning had no meaning, time and space were relative in almost every sense of the word, doom was eternal. One had to accept that, at best, they were mere playthings of a dimension where reality was broken.

A thick, thirty ton gate greeted the newcomer, the word 'Dahl' carefully spray painted on the green camo background, guarded by two xeno Condemned, who looked like they came there by accident, and one Lost Soul that levitated aimlessly in the air. Unforgiven roared in his hand, shattering the Condemned with one bullet per skull. He spent two bullets on the Lost Soul. Shortly after, he flipped a switch that opened the gate.

The scratching of the gate's hinges pervaded the massive facility that was known as 'the hangars'. Quite possibly the biggest section of the entire spaceship, this place was the collective nest of metallic box-garages that could put containers used on ships to shame, all neatly stacked in columns that reached a ceiling so high it required bending of the head backwards to see it. Most of those boxes, where the front faces were simple glass panels, were empty, with only a few of them carrying valuable cargo in the form of VEKTORs and powersuits. When in service, the giant claw that was currently inactive would pick one of the boxes and move them towards a tunnel on the left that led to a launching bay. But now the place was deadly silent, save for some machines wailing in the dark corners of the facility, along with few other nerve-wracking sounds Braylon did his best to filter out.

A wasted effort. All it required for Braylon to forget everything about his surroundings was the one being that, by coincidence, was waiting for him to show up; Allegor. The crooked Arch-Vile who imbued its physical manifestation with stolen powers. The same crooked Arch-Vile he chased through Mountain Glenn. He couldn't believe that the white ray of light ended between its hideous palms, connecting to a tiny orb of aetherial green color.

"Release that soul right the fuck now!" his voice echoed, yet it did nothing to stop the demon from raising its palms and screaming in that same awful manner he loved to hate. If their ambient were an ocean, it would be a whale and he would be a little fish too quiet to be noticed. That is size of the gap between Braylon's and Allegor's voice. The latter was so damn loud, with an echo that was unpleasant to the ear.

"Aagh! Fuck, my ears!" The white light extended itself, pointing out the ever-increasing distance the Arch-Vile put between itself and him with each 'poof!'. If it were a xeno or a bandit, he would call it a coward. "Motherfucker! I'll..."

Three orange barriers appeared. One blocked the gate behind him. One blocked a set of stairs to the left. One blocked the path ahead. A perfect prelude for what was about to transpire. Part of the wall in front of Braylon sunk into the floor, giving space to a green-bricked alcove packed with twelve Imp Grunts, six Bull Demons and two Sawcubi. Before comprehension could caress his mind, the Vault Hunter materialized the first weapon that came in his mind for dealing with large groups, the Nukem, and compressed its trigger, immediately regretting his actions. Not because of the mass of shredded entrails, chunks of half-burnt flesh or boiling blood that painted the entire alcove, but because of the painful ringing his ears had to endure. Also, that explosion was enough to alert the entire facility of his presence. It would probably come down to that sooner or later, he guessed, because his weapons didn't come with silencers.

" _Did the rules change? If one doesn't work, send twenty?_ "

Another wall sunk, this time behind him. Three Caconoids snarled and hissed, ready for battle.

" _Give me a break already!_ "

Orphan maker now in hand, Braylon accepted the challenge, eager to finish it as soon as possible. A bright flash from the muzzles of the double-barreled shotgun was the first, and last, warning the big red monster closest to him got, right before a crater created itself above the mouth but below the eye. He blew its eye off with a second, less-precise shot, while avoiding the narcotic bile from its brothers. The fresh corpse was a perfect instrument for jumping higher and behind the second Caconoid. A point-blank shot, further amplified by his Shield, gave the pellets the power required to punch through the demon' back, mince the brain matter, and pop the eye like a balloon. Blue blood erupted from the newly-carved tunnel as the Caconoid deflated, before dropping like a rock. The remaining demon took flight, reducing Orphan Maker's usefulness. That's why Excalibastard took its place, encasing it in ice with two perfectly white laser beams. This one shattered upon coming in contact with the ground, like a porcelain vase.

" _I'm getting used to this shit. It's pure muscle memory at this point._ "

The orange walls retreated back into nothingness. He was now free to chase after Allegor. Only then did his eyes caught a glimpse of the corruption that spread through the hangars. Fleshy growths covered the walls, the crimson light they emitted with each throb banished the darkness for few seconds, before shutting down and letting the shadows overwhelm them again. Some metallic equipment turned rusty, despite most of them being stainless.

Purple sparks began dancing around his feet, quickly turning into flames that threatened to swallow him whole. He ran behind a box, one containing a VEKTOR, thus avoiding Allegor's attack.

" _Where is he?_ "

Sticking his head out in the open, Braylon tried to pinpoint Allegor's position. The Arch-Vile was nowhere to be seen, yet he heard the familiar "poof!" that signified its teleportation. The fact that the hangars were poorly lit, as most of the lights either died out or were shut down to preserve energy, certainly served to add more fuel into the fire that was his paranoia.

" _Is he luring me into a trap?_ "

He received a response few meters ahead, when two energy walls prevented going forward or retreat to the starting point. Two Mancubi and a Pain Elemental teleported inside the inescapable cage. Braylon strafed back behind cover, but not before one of the Mancubi managed to land a hit with its cannons, draining a portion of the Shield's battery. The Pain Elemental spat out a Lost Soul.

" _It's getting crowded in here! Better bring out something stronger._ "

Using Leviathan meant prioritizing targets. Dealing with the heavy hitters first, the Mancubi, would give the Pain Elemental enough time to flood the place with Lost Souls. However, should the Pain Elemental come first, there would be nothing that would prevent aforementioned Mancubi from walking up to his hiding spot and burn him alive. The heavy thumping of fat feet and the irksome wheezes made him grind his teeth in anger and frustration.

Four rockets, one for each barrel, were the proverbial knife that gutted the nearest Mancubus. Even if its mind consumed by gluttony remained ignorant of the loss of its gastrointestinal tract, the explosive force de facto delivered a push that made it stagger and snort. Avoiding the second Lost Soul that was spawned from the Pain Elemental's mouth, plus the volley of fireballs shot from the other obese abomination's cannons, the Vault Hunter circle strafed behind the wounded Mancubus and ripped away one of its chitinous tubes. A revolting stench of spoiled meat and gaseous waste inavded his nostrils as the fumes that served to fuel the cannon were now released into the environment. Said fumes were highly flammable, so when they mixed with the outside world, the demon experienced the equivalent of a fuel dispenser soaked in gasoline coming in contact with a match. That is to say, it fucking exploded.

His greatest mistake was to go for the Pain Elemental next.

Leviathan's ammo was wasted on the Lost Souls, but Braylon had no opportunity to change his weapons. The only remedy available was to get rid of the Pain Elemental. Though morbid, there was something satisfying in seeing the rotund demon explode after being hit, despite its defeat being the prerequisite for the summoning of three more Lost Souls. It was also a trigger for the activation of a second trap, consisting of two Revenants willing to join the fight.

One of them teleported right in front of his face, showing him how mean its right hook was. With a laughable Shield charge, Braylon flew backwards, falling near the orange wall. The second Revenant's rocket barrage depleted it completely, with few of them perforating his chest and one hitting the spot just above the right knee. He had no time to express pain, because the first Revenant was already choking him with its bony fingers. The remaining Mancubus was ready to fire again.

" _My body is burning! I can't feel my leg! This is bad!_ "

The skeleton lifted Braylon up. Ignoring the fat arsonist, it brought its face closer and screeched loudly. Suddenly, the Revenant became the embodiment of a wicker man, unwillingly acting as a meat shield for the attack that was supposed to kill a different target. Kneeing its jaw, Braylon fell down, grabbed leviathan and shot the other Revenant, a staccato of death proclaiming the arrival of pain for the poor fool that happened to be the target. The one in front of him lost its legs afterwards, when Braylon cut them with the Holo Sabre. A loud crunch signaled the end of its futile efforts as the Vault Hunter used his melee weapon to pierce its skull. All the red orbs it dropped were of great help in accelerating his recovery, healing his wounds enough to allow a one lest desperate escape from the Mancubus's line of sight.

He would deal with the last enemy by throwing two Pandemic grenades near its feet. A look of satisfied revenge plastered itself on the human's face at the creature's struggle, wanting to shake away the homing grenades and the acid that poured from them. Ironically, the more it shook its body left and right, the more damage was dealt to its chitinous armor and its grotesque cannons. Braylon, who wasn't one to waste opportunities, strafed closer and ripped out the exposed heart, clogging the windpipe. The moment it swallowed, the Mancubus blossomed into a flower of gore, skin and meat peeling off the shattered skeleton with disturbing ease.

" _Ugh…_ _do they always have to do that?_ "

With wounds healed entirely, and with the orange walls gone, the Vault Hunter could move on. Following the white light, he came to a platform that was on its way to the upper floor. Allegor stood on it, observing the Vault Hunter that stayed behind. Furious, he approached the nearby console, only to find out that the demon destroyed it.

"You can't run forever! I'll rip that soul out of your hands, you hear me?!"

(Doom PSX – Track 18)

That's when he heard screams.

A gut feeling told him how those screams were a bad omen, even more so when one realizes that it was the first time he heard them, and he could swear they weren't present before. Now that he thought about it, his feet felt funny. Rather than standing firmly on solid metal, they silently sank into something soft, not like mud, but like… sand.

Lo and behold, there really was a powdery substance beneath his feet, black like gunpowder, yet bearing more similarities to sand. If that changed, he thought, then everything else changed too. His heart began beating faster. He knew something like that could and would happen. He just wasn't prepared for the blink-and-you-miss-it speed of change.

Such changes occurred all throughout the long, straight, broad facility, now taking the appearance of a cathedral whose ceiling was shrouded in darkness. Antiquated torches replaced modern lights, burning with green fire, giving the place a color that badly matched with the gray and dull bricks of the walls. The box-containers, surprisingly enough, remained the same.

Enhanced sound reverberation became second nature of this new facility. It was hard for a mortal to understand and distinguish each noise. Did those cries belong to condemned souls or was it all a clever demonic trick? In any case, it did a very good job when it came to psychological torture.

" _I must bring down that platform and get the hell out of here. Maybe there is a control panel I can use?_ "

He hated the idea of backtracking to the starting point, but complaining about it wouldn't do anything to solve the problem. Thusly, Braylon returned to the place where he got ambushed, only to find out that a Void Caller Arch-Vile had revived the bodies of all the demons present there, giving a middle finger to all of his earlier efforts. He materialized Nukem and fired a mini-nuke, mentally complaining that he had to use another one in such a short amount of time, which did a great job with the Revenants and Arch-Vile, but not so great with the tougher Mancubi, even if the unleashed heat was enough to melt every inch of their skin, including the faces. Braylon ran closer to the first Mancubus, jumping when he reached a distance he deemed appropriate.

"Hammer Fist Overdrive!"

As the name implied, Braylon raised his fist and brought it down on the disfigured head, effectively crushing its contents. Blood gushed from multiple cracks, like a squished tomato, as the heavy body fell. One down, one to go. Fornax was used for that. The damaged carapace did nothing to stop the beam of plasma from burning a hole wide enough for a man to squeeze through. Only downside is, he had to spend half of the battery.

When he finally returned to the area with the gate, he was relieved to find the corpses in their natural state. What he didn't like was the new demon that served as an obstacle, one he never saw before. A muscular Hell Knight knockoff with cybernetic legs and cannons for hands. It most defining feature, for Braylon, was a large screen that hid most of its head, except the horns. Once spotted, the screen portrayed a close up image of an eye. That image changed to human teeth as soon as the demon moved its body. This Bruiser was ready for combat.*

" _What a freaky son of a bitch._ "

It had a simple, yet effective, strategy: fire as many rockets while moving as little as possible. It was successful to a degree. The rockets were fast, almost as fast as Leviathan's, making any close up attack extremely difficult as the target would naturally be forced to retreat to a safer distance. As soon as said target goes beyond a certain point, the Bruiser will start pushing forward, until they fall inside the radius where extermination has a bigger possibility of success.

Standing still was an unobtainable luxury. To stand still meant to have a death wish. Even Braylon, whose endurance was put to the test, had hard time with this demon. He got accidentally hit by a stray rocket two times because of a wrong turn or because he found himself at the wrong place. The Bruiser didn't look like it would run out of ammo any time soon, so Braylon decided to act on his own with Ajax's Spear. He would shoot a three-to-four round burst every time he got the chance to do so, though his accuracy was poor due to constant movement. There was not a single opening he could exploit.

Even the explosive bullets, noisy as a firecracker, did nothing to stop it. He wasn't sure he even heard a groan of discomfort, as he expected he would. Thinking that he needed something stronger, he brought back Fornax while repeating the same trick he used with Ajax's Spear. He heard it this time, a moan delivered by a synthesizer combined with a guttural, demonic growl. And yet it was still going strong with the attack.

When the attempt proved to be failure, the only logical thing that remained was to cripple the cannons. A beam of concentrated plasma from Fornax was more than enough to melt one. Thinking became easier after halving the Bruiser's rate of fire, as now there was less need for acrobatics to evade rockets.

He could probably mess something up with his holographic tools, but that required the removal of the second cannon with his plasma rifle. Emptying what little charge remained in the battery-magazine for one last beam, Braylon ran, circle strafed around the Bruiser and thrust the Holo Sabre at the metal spine. Sparks erupted from the implant. He pulled out the Sabre to sever the right leg from the body. After the Bruiser fell, Braylon cut the tube that connected the screen with the head, an act followed by a quick decapitation.

" _Phew. Thought it would never end._ "

With the demon out of the way, Braylon followed the stairs to reach a small cabin packed with consoles, portable computers and flat screens. He flipped a switch that would bring the platform down, sighing internally at the thought of running back to the same place a second time. At least there were no demons present to complicate things. A bitter smile curved his lips at that thought. The amount of luck required for something like that was astronomical compared to what he usually had.

"The arachnid has fallen."

That simple message was brought by a disembodied voice, deeper than any voice he ever heard, irritatingly calm and impossibly cold in its approach to the subject matter. Everyone in Hell heard it, but not everyone understood its meaning in the same way. Braylon took it as it was laid out; a spider-like creature, the "arachnid", lost a battle against someone or something and paid the price for it. Is it his fault? Certainly not. He didn't kill any such creature inside the halls of DBS Cygnus. It was someone else's doing. He wasn't the only one stuck in Hell, and that didn't sit well with him.

One thing that certainly changed was the noise. Each expression of sorrow, wrath, and everything in between, was outvoiced by a collective lament, expressed by numberless sobbing monsters, birthing a composition that had no sense of synergy, yet it clearly depicted emotions that made Braylon's skin crawl in horror. He had a feeling he would become the multiverse's unluckiest punching bag should his ass fail to find the souls and escape from Hell.

Two Imp Grunts teleported near the Caconoid carcasses as Braylon went downstairs. He didn't even get the time required to shoot them and there was already a Hell Razer to his left. Two more demons, a Hell Knight and a Fury, also found their way into the hangars.

" _A horde! They are coming for me!_ "

(Doom: Alien Vendetta – Demonic Hordes)

The amount of demons teleporting inside the facility increased by the minute. Survival was unlikely should he confront them all. So he ran, ran as fast as his legs allowed it, without turning back, without engaging any demon unless it was absolutely necessary. The horde was thirty demons strong in less than ten minutes. And it still kept growing, without any pattern or strategy.

Not every invader was interested in taking Braylon's head. Some, whether due to provocation or malice or other reasons, started attacking their brothers. This was especially true with the Agents of Apocalypse, who mindlessly punched and kicked and burned anything they could get their hands on. An Imp Grunt threw a fireball at Braylon, but it accidentally hit a Baron of Hell that happened to be in the way. The tall monster turned around, deciding to punish the perceived offender by twisting its neck and ripping off the head.

Be fast or be dead. That was the mantra. There was no room to think, only acting could save his skin. He slid between the legs of a Revenant, strafed to avoid a jumping Prowler, threw a grenade behind himself for protection, materialized Orphan Maker, shot a Vulgar, reloaded and moved on. Someone threw a Ravager Demon at a flying Rahovart.

Some new types came to the party as well. Braylon counted two so far, as those happened to be in his line of sight. There might have been more, but there were so many demons up to that point, more than seventy, that it was impossible to spot them, due to the general chaos caused by infighting and because our Vault Hunter invested more energy into his legs rather than his eyes, as he was close to the only thing that could save him at the moment.

One of the aforesaid newcomers was a Mancubus whose armor and cannons were upgraded with cybernetic replicas. The armor, thicker and more prevalent, came with an incorporated helmet that covered half of the head, leaving only its mouth exposed. As for the cannons, they did not set things on fire, but could throw toxic bile that was as powerful as gastric acid, if not stronger. He learned that because one tried to liquefy him, failing only because he moved through crowds that were good shields against any attack, as it was more likely to hit another demon.**

Coming in second place was a previously-unseen breed of Elemental. It had a spherical body like the other two, its hide light brown in color. One could say it resembled a Pain Elemental, except for the eye being smaller, the hands larger, and with a mouth that could open in a way that no mouth should, no matter how abnormal. Sin Elemental was its designation, its power granting it the ability to summon Forgotten Ones.***

Braylon shot a Fury before he jumped on the platform, sprinting to the small control panel to get it up again. It announced its departure with a creak, alerting nearby demons. Braylon used the Nukem on the crowd, thinning their ever-increasing numbers, switching then to Coffin Seller.

Several demons latched onto the platform, decreasing the speed of its ascent. The only way to reduce excessive weight was to get rid of the stragglers, starting from the heaviest, the Baron of Hell at the left corner. He shot a heated nail at its right hand, fixing it to the metal. It grunted, almost imperceptibly, despite its flesh being cooked. The Baron swung its other hand. Braylon ducked and fired a second nail, hitting the jaw. Even if it wanted to express pain, it could not, because the bone that made the jaw was shattered, the tongue impaled, and the flesh burned. Third and fourth nail struck its forehead. He cut the wounded hand with his Holo Ripper. The Baron fell.

He went after the Subjugator Imp, kicking a Vulgar in the face as he did so. Unlike the Baron, the Subjugator successfully jumped on top of the platform. A Hell Razer joined it, behind the human.

Coffin Seller whined loudly as a nail was propelled from the barrel. Its target, the Subjugator Imp, grabbed the nail with its right hand before it could land. Oh, what a face it had made when a second nail struck its forearm. The Hell Razer dropped him on the ground with a beam to his back.

Rolling sideways was useful in avoiding the Imp's fireball and its area of effect. After injuring the Imp's left knee with a nail, Braylon threw a Hive Bomb at the Hell Razer. The explosive bees punched through its body as if it were made of wet paper. Meanwhile, the Vault Hunter jumped on his feet and used the last few nails in the gun to hit the Subjugator's chest. He threw the demon off with a flying kick.

The remaining ones, some Peons, were easy to deal with. One nail for each was more than enough. Caconoids were a problem he solved with Omni-Cannon. The platform was high enough to repel any ground attackers. Only the aerial ones were a problem due to their numbers, even if most of them fought each other. But in the end, they couldn't stop him from getting closer to Allegor.

* * *

Even a battle-hardened veteran such as our Vault Hunter had a hard time fighting in such more-than-extreme conditions. He was exhausted from all that manual work he had to do to get where he was. His stomach demanded food and water with the fervor of a man who was starving to death. Mouth was dry from all the warm air it had to take in and out. Sitting down, even for a moment, to relax the aching muscles, was just a fantasy, as the enemy, relentless in its pursuit, could appear at any moment, from any direction, without warning. There was also the question of whether or not the described symptoms were an illusion forced upon his mind, which would be much worse if the ring didn't ward off the stronger effects, or if they were legit products of his body trapped in such a chaotic dimension.

All of these thoughts mixed in his head as he walked off the platform while examining the new area. It might have been the last place inside the spacecraft that still retained its original form, That is to say, while DBS Cygnus came from the physical plane, it will always be a Dahl spacecraft cursed to free fall into emptiness forever, yet some of its features, even minuscule details, will transform to fit the new reality, as it was already happening. There wasn't an exact explanation of the phenomenon, or how it manifested, readily available to Braylon nor did his PDA have it. But it was visible, he saw it with his own eyes, and he couldn't deny the eeriness it produced.

Finally, he stumbled upon Allegor. After minutes of painfully quiet search, ready to jump at anything that seemed slightly odd, the Arch-Vile presented itself to him. It was funny, in a way. But Braylon wasn't laughing because of that. He was laughing because he thought about the way to brutalize the asshole that was the demon in front of him.

The business end of Ajax's Spear was pointed at its chest, at the orb fused with it. The demon, rather condescendingly, tilted its head, before shooting it backwards, hands raised as if waiting for something to fall from the heavens. He thought it was an attempt to fry him alive, but the real motive for such behavior became clear once light formed a symbol on the floor in front of Allegor's feet; the symbol for multiplication used in alchemy, surrounded by a magical circle. A purple rift opened inside that circle, allowing one Enderman to pass through, before closing itself. Another Enderman came inside the circle after its previous occupant left.

"I don't care how many lackeys you bring here! Nothing will stop me from taking that soul away from you!"

(DoomPowerMetal – Walk Through Evil)

Purple fire surrounded Braylon's feet, who immediately ran behind a box-container, the two Endermen following close behind while a third made its debut.

Safe from that, but not from the Endermen. He tried to shoot one, but it teleported away. The second used its teleportation technique to get even closer, pick up Braylon, and throw him at the wall.

"Agh! Fuck off! You won't keep me away from him!"

He materialized Holo Ripper. In his right hand stood Ajax's Spear, spitting out a three-round burst. The Enderman, as expected, teleported inches away from his face. Clearly it didn't think things through, because its ability brought it right into the Holo Ripper, now embedded in its stomach.

"Imbecile."

Revving up the Ripper, he watched the being's chest shake as purple blood splashed his face and arm. For some reason, he heard glass shattering as he pushed the Ripper towards the floor, cutting until he could free his hand. The Enderman fell on its knees, trying to hold back the blood. A wet splash could be heard as several organs dropped on the floor, along with something that resembled Allegor's orb, but without the slit. Braylon swapped Ajax's Spear for Striker, shoved the barrel inside the Enderman's mouth, and fired, injuring its companion as well.

The pellets went through the back of the mouth, flew, and struck the other creature's leg, tearing it off. Once it fell, Braylon shot its head. He threw an unmodified grenade at the other two to distract them. As they fled, he used Holo Ripper to slice open the corpse's belly, He shoved his hand inside, cringing from disgust as he pulled out the intact orb.

" _What does it do? How can I use it?_ "

He was interrupted in his musings when one of the Endermen teleported to his right. In a moment of panic, he dropped the orb, which rolled a few inches away from him. Just when the Enderman was about to attack, the orb began shaking.

"Hey!"

Braylon yelped as he felt something pushing him backwards. His vision turned purple for less than a second. Suddenly, he found himself beyond the being's reach. First thing he did was to shoot it, then wonder what happened. The orb under his feet was shattered.

" _That's it!_ "

If used correctly, he could avoid the Endermen and go straight for Allegor. An Enderman appeared behind him. Braylon crouched, turned a-hundred-and-eighty degrees, aimed upwards and pulled the trigger. Ripping out the orb, he ran into the open and threw it at the Arch-Vile's feet. Before the demon could do anything, Braylon found himself face-to-chest. He shot the "eye". Web-like cracks appeared on its surface. Allegor screamed loudly before teleporting out of sight, which also erased the symbol it used for summoning backup from another reality.

"Hope you liked it, 'cause you're about to get some more!"

Obviously, he had to deal with the remaining Endermen before he could do anything else. Only three remained. A problem that could be solved with a combined attack.

Excalibastard was a laser weapon. Lasers traveled at the speed of light. An Enderman had to teleport faster than that to avoid it. But there is nothing faster than the fastest speed in the universe.

He froze the heart of the one on the left with just one beam. With a second shot he froze its brain next. It stood still, hands clutching its chest, then dropped like a tree, eyes rolled back into the head, much to the shock of the other two.

"Woo! The fun has just begun!"

They seethed out of fear and desire for revenge. Braylon shot a beam at the second Enderman. While it didn't freeze, it did wound the arm right before it teleported. Meanwhile, the Vault Hunter ran towards the third, squeezing the trigger of his Pocket Rocket non-stop. None of the projectiles hit their target, because it escaped few meters to the right. Braylon stopped mid-run and crouched as fast as possible. He jumped, stabbing the surprised creature with Excalibastard's bayonet.

"Uaaargh!"

The remaining two projectiles in the handgun were enough to forever interrupt its cries, blowing up the area between its legs and the lower half of the spine.

One more to go. But where was it? He looked around. It reappeared behind him, left arm now worthless. Coiling its long fingers around his head, the Enderman picked him up and smashed him into the ground three times, emptying his Bumblebee.

Thanks to the Shield's special effect, he was able to kick to free himself from the hand. Braylon tackled the being. He sat on its chest and pounded its head with his strong-as-a-brick fists. Shoving his thumbs into its eye sockets, the Vault Hunter twisted the head left and right, then ripped the skull in half. He robbed the corpse of its pearl-like thing and moved on.

Time to hunt down Allegor.

Bumblebee's effect remained active for a little longer, boosting the movement speed of its user. Everything became a blur at the corner of the eyes as running almost turned into flying. An Enderman stood idly, apparently clueless to the fast-approaching death. It turned only after it had felt a pair of eyes glaring daggers at its back. By then it was too late. The last thing it saw was Holo Sabre cleaving through the air. Its last dying thoughts were spent pondering about the lack of feeling of anything below the hips.

The Shield recharged, its benefits removed. Not that he needed them anymore, for he found his target waiting for him some fifty meters away. Again, Allegor tried to set him on fire and again did the teenager find cover. This turned out to be the demon's goal. Buying more time with the sorcerous flame attack, Allegor could cast a new spell by raising its hands in front of itself in a strange gesture Braylon didn't even know it could be possible to perform.

A circle appeared, with a new symbol, the symbol for fire, trapped within. A massive roar of an unseen creature spread throughout the hangars, booming like thunder. Three purple fireballs flew out of the circle, aimed at the Vault Hunter behind the box-container. The fireballs struck the object, exploded, and set it on purple fire.

"Jesus Christ!"

It was a clever maneuver. If you can't pull the rat out of its hole, then use fire and smoke. Surely that will bring it out. And it did. The little rat escaped from the melting pile of metal, out in the open and vulnerable to an attack. Allegor would have grinned at the soon-to-be tragedy if only its fleshy shell wasn't already stuck with a perpetual, malevolent smile. It was so confident in its victory that the thought of a trump card being hidden somewhere didn't even present itself as common sense.

Three more fireballs were conjured from the circle. Braylon pulled out the pearl-like object and threw it at Allegor in an arc. The Arch-Vile raised its head, eyes fixated on the orb in disbelief as it broke, turning into purple sparks. Braylon was now in its place, his left arm stretched forward.

"Elbow Drop Overdrive!"

The force with which the Vault Hunter struck the eye-like thing fused to its chest, enhanced by the power of the Seal, was enough to shatter it into pieces, revealing a hollow chest and copious amounts of purple blood. Blood trickled through the teeth as its uncharacteristically deep wail turned into barely audible gurgling. He strafed away from the motionless demon, observing in awe as a purple lightning bolt fell from the ceiling and struck its target, turning it into fine purple dust. Allegor, like Tammuz, like the Phantom and the Subjugator, was no more.

(Flowers for Bodysnatchers – Red Ballerina Oksana's Theme)

A tiny, aetherial green sphere rose silently from the dust, enveloped in white light. That, he mused, was definitely the soul of Weiss Schnee, Ruby's teammate and friend. There was no evidence that it was aware of his presence, yet he did his best to approach it slowly, treating it like a Terran deer. Gently, he took the orb in his left hand and whispered:

"Weiss Schnee. White Snow. It really suits you. Cold to the touch, yet it melts in your palm. This attitude of yours, it's a facade, isn't it? Contrary to your title as ice queen, you are everything but ice. I can feel it all, you know? Right now, I can feel your sorrow, your loneliness, your desire to make things right. Follow your desire, Weiss. Keep it close, like you keep your friends close. Come with me. I will save you all from the clutches of this cursed place."

The ring took the soul into itself, acting as a temporary shelter in order to avoid further agony from Hell and demons. A new type of light appeared; blackish-purple. It went through a wall.

" _Blake._ "

Something exploded. The hangars shook.

" _Run, Braylon! Run!_ "

Acquiring Weiss's soul was, for good or ill, the easiest part. The step that came later would be the point where Braylon's skills would be put on trial.

Blake's and, by extension, Yang's soul were taken out of Cygnus and brought deeper into Hell, possibly divided and given to specific 'guardians', baiting him into a multitude of traps he had no intention to avoid. Though he wondered how exactly did they get Blake's soul since, according to his current knowledge, mortal races created by other mortals ceased to exist after their death. It was most likely an exception to the rule, as technically there was no actual death involved, or, he leaned more on this one, everything that the demonic voice said to him about the topic was almost certainly bullshit. If that were true then all the Faunus he brutally murdered on Remnant were now judging him in the afterlife.

" _I…_ _didn't really need that._ "

And so Braylon put the blame on Hell once again for having such a train of thought, now more open to the former idea; that Blake's soul still existed because she wasn't dead. Regardless of truth, both she and Yang needed his help. The only way to help them was to get out of DBS Cygnus.

Providence would have it that the second floor was also the place where all of the Dahl's flying wonders were held. Only a handful remained, all of them RKV. One of them was chosen for the task at hand. Its box-garage was carried into the launching bay along with Braylon who hitched a ride. Scooped out, the vehicle was carefully placed on the ground by robotic arms. Three tiny drones performed a quick search for any abnormalities. Detecting none, they retreated, allowing the pilot free reign over their tool for warfare.

But warfare had to wait. Its current purpose was to run. Where, its pilot had no idea. 'Sticking to the light for guidance' was one way to put it.

Piloting an RKV was no more difficult than piloting any other jet. It s armaments weren't needed, also because there was no ammo for them. Braylon turned on the engines, waiting for the launching bay to open itself to the outside horrors.

The demons and their minions cackled with glee. It was as if they were invited to seed the titanic contraption with their wretched presence. A bird of metal flew past the hordes of bloodthirsty monsters. The denizens of Hell left behind the carcass of what used to be a spacecraft in Dahl's service, following instead the thing that dared to evade their mouths and claws. It was fast. So were they.

Narcotic bile, fireballs, energy beams, thunder. Nothing could hit it, yet. Someone managed to finally land a hit, hard to evade due to multiple attacks from multiple sides. The bird of metal shook, smoke billowing from its left side. It lost balance. It descended, sinking into the crimson clouds, hiding from their presence through thunderstorms that were impossible to happen on mortal worlds. They couldn't follow it further.

No matter. There was always someone else who liked to eat crumbs thrown from the table of the mighty. It would be the plaything of other hordes, other swarms of degeneracy, corruption and infamy. They all knew how Anathema's prison worked, how it treated its guests. Everyone was equal in suffering, immortal or otherwise.

And this mortal was about to meet its end.

* * *

 **There you have it; end of the first part. Things turn heated with the start of the second part, what I call "the shores of Hell" for reasons you will soon understand, even though "shores" is not the right word. But hey, the second episode of Doom had no shores either...**

 **I digress. Here's what you can expect from this part: gorefest, (probably) short chapters, minimum description (unless I really want to point out a detail or two, use your imagination for the rest), more (brutal) fights, a secret level (not going to tell you when, a whole another story), possibly a new weapon…**

 **What will set apart the upcoming three chapters** **from the rest is the enemy roster. You will see more Hellspawn/Demonic Corruption-type creatures rather than Demon-types. The latter will appear too, but rarely and in small numbers or individually. Those Hellspawn that do not end up on the list I keep from the "Elevator to Hell" chapter will only appear in the chapter they are mentioned (or even throughout the arc, though in smaller numbers), just like the "Aetherial" monsters from the island arc. Also, Hero-types. They will be more frequent in here.**

 **For everything else, well, keep reading folks!**

 **Next chapter: Swamps of Misery**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #128:** Bruiser

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _The epitome of self-mutilation. Bruisers are actually a tribe that turned to the worship of technology. The view themselves as nothing but vessels for cybernetic surgery and warfare. Bruisers rarely join an invasion, their most recent being hundreds of years old, according to the time flow of your reality,_ _under the leadership of a hellspawn known as Maledict. He was defeated, however, and the Bruisers were inactive since._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #129:** Cyber-Mancubus

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Human, this is clearly the work of a mortal. No brother of mine, no matter how degenerate, would ever give birth to such a sloppy handwork. For what purpose, I am not sure, but it is obvious that the demons are using mortals for their dirty work. It appears that the Mancubi are happy with the "improvements" done to their bodies. That, or they simply stopped caring for everything but their stomachs._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #130:** Sin Elemental

 **Type:** Demon

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Sin is the plague that is killing creation. Countless mortals have fallen under its power. It tempts you like honey, only to make you realize your mistake later. Sin also brought death. No created being understands that better than the Sin Elemental, whose sole purpose is to spread this plague until entire worlds are corrupted or destroyed. They are completely devoted to their cause, which is why they are rarely seen on the battlefield. A Sin Elemental will do something as long as it helps its own agenda. They always pick the choice that will create more chaos than others. Few are those among the fallen who will be judged so harshly in the final days as them._ "

* * *

1) Imp: Peon, Grunt, Subjugator

2) Demon: Bull, Ravager, Noise

3) Possessed: Corpse, Former Human, Faunus, Huntsman

4) Invisible: Spectre, Phantom

5) Corrupted Animal: Tainted, Haunted

6) One-of-a-kind: Sawcubus, Vulgar, Wraith, Hell Razer, Maggot, Ifrit, Returner, Scorched One, Frozen One, Eurynomus, Prowler

7)Souls: Condemned, Lost Soul, Dark Soul, Forgotten One

8) Revenant: Fury, Revenant

9) Cult: Harvester

10) Elemental: Pain, War, Sin

11) Arch-Vile: Reanimator, Void-Caller

12) Cacodemon: Caconoid, Rahovart

13) Flesh: Flesh Artist, Fleshmender

14) Mancubus: Mancubus, Behemoth

15) Nobility: Hell Knight, Hell Paladin, Baron of Hell, Duke of Hell

16) Oni: Burning Mouth, Thunder Fist

17) Fusion: Agent of Apocalypse, Minister of Death

18) Arachnotron: Thalamus

19) Hellspawn: Zombie Pigman, Mourning Wood, Succubus, Lamia, Kumiho, Harpy, Basilisk

20) Demon Cyborgs: Bruiser, Cyber – Mancubus


	43. Swamps of Misery

Thoughts rushed as the cockpit of the RKV trembled like a leaf in a hurricane. Tiny lights flashed every so often, repeating what was already known. The windshields dispersed the red mist left and right, standing strong against the nightmarish weather of Hell. It wasn't long before the aircraft emerged from the sea of clouds, diving straight towards the land below. Branches of dead trees rubbed against the fuselage, with the weakest of them snapping in half. They carried the metallic bird until it descended into a pond.

"Aaargh! Damn it!..."

A simple seat belt prevented the life-threatening injuries, though it did not provide a cure for mild concussions and ringing in the ears. Small prayers went to whoever invented seat belts.

"C _ontrols are fucked up. This thing can't fly anymore. Looks like I'll have to go on foot._ " The windshield, although strong, performed poorly against a kick or two. " _Where the hell am I?_ "

An unpleasant stench mixed with humid air tingled his nostrils; a dead giveaway of a swamp. Patches of dried grass shared their awful brown color with the murky water below, forming monotonous surroundings as far as the eye can see, with only a few prickly trees and a hill doing the job to break the lack of variety, and doing it poorly at that.

A giant stone slab, behind the downed RKV, stood out from everything else. The prevalence of blue markings on its texture spoke volumes of its purpose, compared to the irregular wall of white rocks that adorned its sides. The purple light passed through it.

The heavens above were entirely hidden by red clouds that stretched from horizon to horizon. They carried thunder that sounded like a chorus of screams coming from the damned, forming impossible shapes and demonic faces that leered at those chained to the earth. Yet even that wasn't enough to stop Braylon from averting his eyes when the ears picked up a distinctive moan that came from the Possessed Corpses. Three of them, their white clothing thick with grime and stained with blood.

He cringed as the water caressed his ankles, almost slipping several times as he reached the Corpses. The cold barrel of the Unforgiven touched their fragile skulls, before injecting them with lead that would break them open with the power of a hammer. None of them could prevent their fate. They were too slow, too zombie-like.

Closer inspection revealed a cavity in the decorated slab. It was reminiscent of that time in Forever Fall, where he had to gather the skull-shaped keys. Sighing, he pressed his forehead against the stone surface.

A snake hissed. Or better, it sounded like someone tried to hiss using their teeth, not like an actual snake. It was a Lamia, eyes narrowed at the water in the pond.

" _What's it doing?_ "

The water erupted as a reptilian creature bit the screaming Lamia's head, dragging it into the pond until its entire body sunk below the surface.

That same creature emerged moments later. It was a humanoid crocodile with topaz yellow eyes that had no qualms about revealing the nature behind them. Legs short but arms wide, its muscular body sported dark green scales that actual crocodiles could only hope to have. A fearsome monster, this Ornapad*.

(Andrew Hulshult – Doom: Dark Halls)

Unforgiven sung again, twice this time. The tough scales lessened the impact the bullets would otherwise have, doing nothing to stop the monster's mad rush. Braylon strafed right, letting it kiss the cold stone wall.

A revolver wouldn't be enough. He needed something that packed more punch, like the Orphan Maker. The Ornapad turned, only to feel its left shoulder erupt into pain. Its injured arm dangled helplessly, held to the body only by the bone and that few muscles that weren't damaged. Nevertheless, the reptile-like creature showed no fear. On the contrary, it leaped like a frog, wounds be damned.

Death was denied by the Bumblebee. It endured the Ornapad's assault, beeping loudly as the massive jaws bit down on Braylon's trapezius. The Orphan Maker was out of reach, stuck in the mud. A new gun had to do. And Fast.

Ajax's Spear was the choice, barrel pointed at the hard belly of the beast. The explosive bullets tore through the hard muscle while the other hand grabbed an eyeball and pulled it out of its socket. It let go. A short burst aimed at the head sent it falling into the water.

"Hah!… Gonna... make boots out of your ass."

The hand trembled as it held the dirty shotgun, pointing it at the two more Ornapads not far away from their owner. They were half-submerged, imitating the behavior of their animal counterparts. The corpse of their fallen brother sunk like the Lamia's.

He ran towards the shore. They followed.

One of them rose just as he inserted fresh shells in the barrels. He rammed the Orphan maker down its throat and the Ajax's Spear into one of the eyes. The loud "bang!" that followed sent it flying backwards. The remaining Ornapad had its head disfigured with what remained of the bullets inside the assault rifle.

Reaching whatever stood on top of that hill seemed like a good idea. It wasn't. Not as much as he hoped it would be.

It was a lake this time. A small island with a giant tree stayed afloat in the middle of it, surrounded by equally-buoyant tree trunks. The grayish tree had no leaves, but hanging corpses, not all of them human. There were also few Lamias standing in a circle, under the treetops, although too minuscule for a better observation. Several totems were floating at the places where the tree trunk gathered in groups, depicting creatures unknown.

" _The key must be there. I've gotta find it._ "

Jumping from trunk to trunk was the only way of transportation through the lake. It was around his fourth jump that things became more difficult. Scorched Ones would appear on top of the nearest trunks, sometimes to many to be taken down all at once. With Pocket Rocket in hand, Braylon had either the choice to make them explode or jump on another trunk while the one he left behind burned as if soaked in gasoline. He would quickly pull away his feet every time they were too close to the surface of the water.

Then the totems were facing him.

A gust of wind caressed the back of his neck. Luck alone had bent his head, otherwise it would have been impaled by a wooden stick. Said stick, meant for him, struck a Scorched One on the nearest trunk.. Braylon tried to avoid picturing his death as he jumped yet again, now closer to the island.

" _So that's what those things are for. Good to know._ "

He avoided another wooden projectile as he landed on the trunk that would allow him reach the island's shores. Another one hit him in the neck from the left side. He fell into the water.

Dozens of yellow eyes shone in the darkness, all staring at him. Something grabbed his leg, determined to pull him deeper. Kicking whatever held him, Braylon immediately swum to the shore of the island.

The Lamias, three in total, turned their attention from an altar made of stone to the newest arrival. A fourth monster stood near them, bearing the resemblance to a Lamia, but with the upper body having blue skin and long snakes for hair. A Gorgon**.

Worse, whatever lived in the waters of the lake, now decided to come out. The mystery of the glowing yellow eyes was finally solved, for what emerged was nothing short of revolting; frog-like beings with large eyes and sharp little teeth. Even their limbs were ripped-off from their animal cousins, yet those could walk and wield tridents like a man. The Bullfrogs*** were ready for battle.

" _Here we fucking go. Anything else?!_ "

Pocket Rocket was wet, and thus useless at the moment. Coffin Seller was its replacement, for better or worse. It whistled loudly, ejecting a hot nail that dived into the soft flesh of a Bullfrog, cauterizing the wound before it could bleed. The victim, unable to endure the pain, dropped its trident and jumped into the water, barking as it did so. Its comrades calmly watched the scene unfold, before they turned towards the perpetrator, who was already fighting the Lamias, with hatred in their filthy hearts.

Braylon cared not for their opinion. Fighting like a cornered animal was the only way to survive. A Lamia learned that the hard way when it tried to scratch him, only to have a nail stuck in the trachea.

Leaving it to convulse on the dirt, the Vault Hunter ran to the altar, now seeing the object that stood on its surface. It was the same object he used to defeat Yarim-Nasir, the Warmaster of Hell, now offering him a leverage against the hellspawn. The ring gleamed as his fingers touched the red orb. His veins were burning with the power his body absorbed in a matter of seconds. He saw red.

"Mmmmmrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhh! Here comes the pain train!"

Screaming profanities as loud as possible, he leaped towards the nearest Lamia, hugged it with the ferocity of a bear, and sunk his teeth into the flesh of its nose, ripping it off, followed by a furious stream of headbutts even after it collapsed from injuries. All of this while the electric arrows, shot from the tridents, depleted his Shield and hit his skin.

At one point, a Bullfrog hopped closer, ready to impale the seemingly unsuspecting Vault Hunter. The latter's fist went up with the speed of thunder. It's blown carcass flew out of the crimson cloud and back into the lake.

"For the slaughter!"

The Gorgon, who was up to now a casual observer, decided to step in by firing two purple bolts from its eyes, probably meant to turn the target into stone. He jumped sideways, landing on all fours like some kind of animal, seething and barking all the while. The Gorgon wasn't intimidated by the savagery of the foe, deciding to repeat its gimmick two more times.

Two more times did it fail, as Braylon was closing in with each passing second. His uppercut, delivered out of the blue, struck the hellspawn's chin, kicking the head, as well as the snakes, backwards with a sickening crack. He was behind the foe before it could fall, shrugging off the snakes that bit his arms. The Gorgon struggled with all of its might, screaming and hissing and crying. Right when its eyes flashed purple, the Vault Hunter snapped its neck towards the last Lamia and the remaining Bullfrogs. They all became statues.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

But that wasn't enough. He had to throw away the corpse and lash out at the statues. He had to grind them to dust, until the red haze suddenly disappeared without a trace, giving him back all the lost senses. It was exhausting, but he had to move on. Right after catching his breath, of course.

A very strange rock lay on the other side of the lake. Its texture and height were a stark contrast to the mounds of black dirt that surrounded it, leaving only a slit for anyone to pass through. Two cavities protruded from its surface, one above the other. The one below was an entrance hidden behind some ferns and vines. The other one was not. Actually, the one above had an uncanny resemblance to a typical Bullymong den. That wasn't as much of an issue as the noise that came out of it.

" _...Why do I hear a fucking 'Mong?_ "

The creature that came out certainly resembled a Bullymong, but it was a far cry from its counterpart from Pandora. Gone were the fur and the distinct color, replaced by red skin and white tusks all over its frame. It was a demonic Bullymong. A Demong, if you will.****

" _Oh no. Oh fuck._ "

His mind fell silent, his voice died in the mouth. Braylon materialized Striker while avoiding the fireballs that emerged from the freak's hands. He seethed as his grip on the weapon tightened.

Seeing that its attacks weren't as useful as it thought, the Demong charged forward, bringing its fists down as its body released an incendiary nova explosion. Savagery ran through its blood, even more so than in a standard Bullymong.

"Heh. Even when you're fucked up, you're still the same dumb beast." he shot its head, "I'll put you down like one."

Stunned by the pellets that cut the skin on its face, the Demong bent forward, spitting fire from the mouth like a flamethrower. Braylon, backtracking out of its range, continued his assault. A normal Bullymong would have been dead by now, with all that lead stuffed in its body. This one was a bullet sponge, though he noticed how its movements were more and more strained. Its red skin hid well its wounds, yet the air still carried the metallic smell of blood.

Nothing like an unmodified grenade to get rid of the undesirables. When the legs were gone and the Demong fell, the Pocket Rocket and Omni-Cannon delivered the finisher, ripping through the skin, liquefying flesh and shattering bones.

"Thank you! God!"

Coffin Seller returned, should another group of demons ambush him. There were none. It was just him and corpse of a messed up Bullymong. The fact that it could be killed didn't alleviate the grim thoughts. If there was one, many more would follow.

" _They got Pandora… right? What is happening back there_?"

A mind stuck in thoughts was the Devil's workshop now. Obsessing over the fate of his planet would be of no use to his current objective. Thus, he entered the cave.

It was more of a tunnel than an actual cave, really. Torches with abnormal blue fire would be present every ten meters or so. Nothing resembling a trap. Yet.

The tunnel led to a small ossuary, with a stone sarcophagus laying in the middle, surrounded by three Imp Grunts, who inspected its contents. Bones were messily scattered in small groups across the room, along with small pieces of jewelry and ruined fabrics.

Defeating the Imps was no-brainer. They were too engrossed in observing something inside the sarcophagus. It was so important, that they did not bother to pay the human any attention whatsoever. Only after one's head was nailed at the wall like a trophy did the other two react, and even then their behavior was strange, as if trying to defend whatever they stared at.

The object they obsessed over was a mummified corpse holding a gun to its chest. Braylon whistled as he tore away the gun from those dead hands, eyeing the features of his newest toy. A flintlock gun would, in this day and age, draw away most gun nuts, even the staunchest collectors. This gun would win where its ordinary counterparts would fail simply because of how abnormal it was.

A thin barrel, made of silver, connected to a grip made with some unknown type of dark brown wood, so breathtaking in quality that it could easily outmatch the best known materials out there. The hammer, the frizzen and the trigger were also made of silver, but lacked the intricate patterns engraved on the above-mentioned parts. A thick red mist hid the end of the barrel.

Another thing that caught his attention was the corpse's blue skull. Connecting two and two together, Braylon tore off the skull off the body, thus indirectly summoning a Revenant. Its sudden nerve-wracking screech scared the Vault Hunter into aiming the gun at the intruder and pulling the trigger.

The hammer clicked. A shot rang through room. Nothing came out of the gun.

Many things happened withing the next two seconds. The Revenant's chest exploded outwards, leaving a head-sized hole behind. Impossible amounts of blood were unleashed upon Braylon and the wall behind the monster, who fell on its knees as it wordlessly tried to hold the heart that wasn't there, before collapsing.

"Holy crap!" he squeaked, "What just happened?!"

A quick glance at the Revenant's corpse explained the gun's effect. Something, an anomalous feature perhaps, would carve a tunnel through the chest of the target, so to speak, destroying the heart and everything close to it. To put it in far simpler terms: the heart explodes.

Eager to test the gun once again, the Vault Hunter went out and returned to the island, where he was stopped from going back to the pond he left behind by none other than a dragon. A living, breathing, infuriated dragon.

This four-legged reptile, whose scales were made of diamond, descended from the red clouds with an angry howl emanating from its throat. With each flap of its wings, diamond bits would detach themselves from the body to rain down on the enemy below, speeds going far beyond normal, enough to make them lethal. *****

Not even the tree was spared. Each shard was either cutting off the branches or punching holes in the trunk. Braylon cursed and cursed some more, his mind apparently unable to process the fact that he could get killed by the thing that could make him rich. Luckily, he head a new gun, so he waited for the dragon to circle around the island once again. The eerie click told him he just fucked up. Badly.

Something squeezed his heart with enough force to paralyze him. Face buried in dirt, he clutched his chest, unable to breathe or scream, as the shards chipped away at his Shield.

The torture ended moments later, even if the pain did not. He had to hug the God-damn tree as soon as possible. Bumblee was at its limit. Hug he couldn't, not in such a state, so he crawled like a maggot.

" _What went wrong now?! Is there a limit? A rule? What?!_ "

His eyes went wide just as the dragon roared for the fourth time.

" _Don't tell me. It requires a heart. And that dragon doesn't have one._ " he stared at the creature in question, " _Damn you!_ "

The deadly rain certainly wasn't an attack. If it truly wanted to attack, the fight would have been over in a second. Such was his reasoning, which is why he brought out the Leviathan. It was way heavier than it used to be.

Four rockets struck the dragon's side, to no avail. Not even the Leviathan's overkill ammunition was capable of piercing its scales, though it did slightly push the flying reptile. He realized that he had to strike the wings, where the scales were thinner, even if there was no evidence to back up that assumption. Four new rockets were loaded into the barrels.

But the dragon wouldn't have that.

It was intelligent. It figured out the lowly human schemes. Which is why it turned the entire body towards the mortal and opened the cavernous mouth. Braylon was sure that he crapped his pants when he was forced to jump away.

Three huge diamond stakes impaled the tree, tearing it off from the dirt and throwing it into the water. As soon as the dragon passed above the island, the rockets struck one of its wings. He didn't bother to wait and see their impact.

"Nope! Nope! Nope! Fuck no!"

There is no better stimulant than fear. It was the reason why he returned to the pond with such haste, despite his injuries. He had to find a roof to crawl under, otherwise he would end up like that tree. The blue skull fit perfectly inside the decorated slab. It activated a mechanism that made the slab move sideways after the skull disappeared in bright flash.

What waited beyond that point was a field covered with a thick blanket of short grass, with only a few trees visible every so often. While being sparse, these trees were incredibly long and held an impossible amount of branches, so many that they hid the sky and the dragon. Some Bullfrogs loitered around a stump, only to be brutally murdered by the shiny gems that fell from above like bullets. Only one survived the onslaught, despite loosing a lot of blood. Braylon lifted a trident and pushed it into its head.

No matter how one looked at it, the place was the same in all directions. The only clue that stood out from the rest of the ambient was a golden candelabra with black candles that stood on a perfectly-shaped rock, seemingly standing in the middle of nowhere every twenty meters.

On the fourth candelabra Braylon encountered a Gorgon coiled around a tree. He didn't notice it until he heard a hiss, strafing just in time to avoid the petrifying gaze.

"Eagle Talon Overdrive!"

His left hand grabbed its hideous face, nails scratching its skin, twisted, then yanked the head off, banging it against the nearest stone until it became a bloody pulp. No hellspawn attacked him since then.

The seemingly random path brought him to the ruins of a temple overrun by plants. Some of it was drowned in water and mud, home to a tribe of Bullfrogs and Ornapads. They fought among themselves, killing each other in an orgy of blood and guts. When the dragon flew above them, however, at least a dozen individuals from each side were simply wiped out, unable to defend themselves. What remained turned its attention to the new intruder.

Rather than fight, the Vault Hunter escaped to the temple's inner chambers, deep beneath the surface. There was no way he was willing to stay outside more than necessary, not until the dragon gives up. Other monsters stopped chasing him after he entered inside a throne room, where a switch opened a gate that led to a cave covered in green moss. There was also a river, shining ominously as its light blue water flowed into a bottomless pit. He decided to follow it upstream, following some stairs made of stone, then walking on a gravel path until he finally reached the exit.

For once, he wished he thought things through before doing stuff. As for why, the next trial would provide the answer. How bad could it be?

* * *

 **Life tends to screw up most of my plans. Like the one where I was supposed to post two chapters this month. Well, I finished one, which is still better than nothing.**

 **I decided to rewrite some of the oldest chapters, mostly to fix grammar mistakes and polish the parts that need to be polished. After that, I will focus on the next chapter. That should be all for now. Can't remember anything else important.**

 **Next Chapter: River Styx**

* * *

 **PDA Biopedia:**

 ***Entry #131:** Ornapad

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _One of the species that never plagued your kind, but another race in another time. Back then, they lived in small groups that raided villages and traveling merchants. Most of them died after that species developed adequate technologies. Now they are an ancient relic, almost forgotten by their masters._ "

* * *

 ****Entry #132:** Gorgon

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Once upon a time, there were three beautiful Human women; Medusa, Euryale and Stheno. They were so beautiful, that they drew the attention of every Human man they encountered. One day, however, they met a man who would change their fate. They gave him an apple and told him to give it back to the woman he thought was the most beautiful. This man loved philosophy more than anything else, so when he got the apple, he took a bite, claiming that beauty lies in the soul and not in the body. They were so furious, that they ran into the woods, where they made a bargain with some of my fallen brothers. And thus the three Gorgon Queens were born. They were killed later by a hero, but their lineage wouldn't stop there, as they were mere prototypes of what came afterwards._ "

* * *

 *****Entry #133:** Bullfrog

 **Type:** Hellspawn

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Like the Ornapads, the Bullfrogs are also an ancient relic, a living fossil of a crisis long solved._ _They are the remains of an ancient mortal civilization, where they served as cheap slaves for any kind of labor. One day, one of my fallen brothers whispered thought of rebellion into the mind of the most intelligent specimen. Due to their numbers, they easily overwhelmed the population and became the dominant species. Their species then encountered an illness that decimated their population, which turned them back into slaves. Only this time, they were exterminated entirely. Few individuals were taken by the demons, who increased their numbers and trained them into loyal subjects._ "

* * *

 ******Entry #134:** Demong

 **Type:** Hellspawn – Demonic Corruption

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** _"With the introduction of the Fourth Age, many things will change into unrecognizable new forms. The "Bullymong" animal, in this case, was consumed by the negative energies of Hell, twisted into a being that is known as the "Exalted". The Exalted is a name given to all those beings with mortal origins, individual or otherwise, that are the closest thing to an immortal state said beings can achieve. They can be killed, but_ _not_ _by natural means. And once they are defeated outside of Hell, they return back to it,_ _the only place_ _where they can truly die. Expect to see more such cases in the future. I have a feeling it will only get more frequent._ "

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 *******Entry #135:** Borven, The Diamond Dragon

 **Type:** Hellspawn – Hero

 **Faction:** Legions of Hell

 **Description:** " _Dragons are a rather complex subject. All you need to know is that there are two types of dragons. The "Naturals" are beings no different than a lion or a lizard, animals that can be found in certain realities. They come as species, just like other animals. The "Synths" are dragons of myth. The first of their kind were born from stolen eggs of the Naturals, which were experimented upon and corrupted by their vile sorcery. Synths are always unique. Each of them is one of a kind. Some are airborne, others are like fish. Some live on the surface of stars while others in underground caves. They will always spread terror and destruction, and they have the means to do so. These are your enemy._ " (Each dragon is a Hero-type monster)

* * *

 **New item acquired!**

 **Item:** Kalibak's Heartslayer

 **\- "Property of an infamous witch hunter."** (Inflicts heavy damage with each shot, attack cannot be stopped)(Due to Seraphim's Seal, the gun can be used on enemies that belong to the Legions of Hell faction)

 **\- Eldritch/Cursed Pistol**

 **\- Does not use ammo**

 **\- Ignores armor, Shield, and Aura**

 **\- Hate Reaction: each time the gun is used, the enemies around the user will be more ferocious** (effects stack with each use, has a set duration even when the gun is unequipped, Seraphim's Seal does not block this effect)

\- Targets must have a heart and they must be alive (meaning everything similar to Constructs, robots or else are immune)

\- **Pain Absorption:** failure to fulfill the above-mentioned criteria, and/or failure to kill the target in a single shot, will result in a 25% Health reduction (Seraphim's Seal blocks this effect, but the criteria must still be met, otherwise no damage will be dealt)

* * *

 **Arsenal:**

 **Newest addition:** Kalibak's Heartslayer

 **1) HWM:** Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw

 **2)** **Pistol:** Unforgiven, Pocket Rocket, Kalibak's Heartslayer

 **3)** **Shotgun:** Striker, Orphan Maker

 **4)** **Assault Rifle:** Ajax's Spear, Coffin Seller

5) **Rocket Launcher:** Nukem, Leviathan

 **6) Sniper Rifle:** Omni-Cannon

 **7) Energy Weapons:** Excalibastard, Vulcan, Fornax

 **8) Remnant-only:** Vulcan

 **9) Shield:** Bumblebee

 **10) Grenade mod:** Pandemic, Hive Bomb

 **11) Artifacts/Items:** Seraphim's Seal, Kalibak's Heartslayer

* * *

1) Imp: Peon, Grunt, Subjugator

2) Demon: Bull, Ravager, Noise

3) Possessed: Corpse, Former Human, Faunus, Huntsman

4) Invisible: Spectre, Phantom

5) Corrupted Animal: Tainted, Haunted

6) One-of-a-kind: Sawcubus, Vulgar, Wraith, Hell Razer, Maggot, Ifrit, Returner, Scorched One, Frozen One, Eurynomus, Prowler

7) Souls: Condemned, Lost Soul, Dark Soul, Forgotten One

8) Revenant: Fury, Revenant

9) Cult: Harvester

10) Elemental: Pain, War

11) Arch-Vile: Reanimator, Void-Caller

12) Cacodemon: Caconoid, Rahovart

13) Flesh: Flesh Artist, Fleshmender

14) Mancubus: Mancubus, Behemoth

15) Nobility: Hell Knight, Hell Paladin, Baron of Hell, Duke of Hell

16) Oni: Burning Mouth, Thunder Fist

17) Fusion: Agent of Apocalypse, Minister of Death

18) Arachnotron: Thalamus

19) Hellspawn: Zombie Pigman, Mourning Wood, Succubus, Lamia, Kumiho, Harpy, Basilisk, _Gorgon_ , _Dragon_ , _Demong_


End file.
